Joe Biden calls Saudi King Salman ahead of Jamal Khashoggi report

US President Joe Biden on Thursday held his first phone call with King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia. The two leaders discussed regional security, the US’ commitment to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory against the Iranian-aligned groups, human rights abuses, and renewed diplomatic efforts to end the war in Yemen. US President’s telephonic conversation was aimed to address the longstanding partnership between the US and Saudi Arabia. 

“The President noted positively the recent release of several Saudi-American activists and Ms. Loujain al-Hathloul from custody, and affirmed the importance the United States places on universal human rights and the rule of law,” a White House Press release stated. Saudi Arabia, last week, released the prominent women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul from the prison, having held her in detention for nearly three years. Al-Hathloul was set free after the Biden administration pressurized Riyadh to reform its human-rights accords. The women’s rights activist was arrested after she pushed for the removal of the ban on driving for women in Saudi Arabia. She was sentenced to 6 years in jail in December 2020 and was charged under the Islamic nation’s counterterrorism law. 

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Unclassified report from US intel on Khashoggi

Furthermore, the White House informed, that President Biden told King Salman that he would “work to make the bilateral relationship as strong and transparent as possible,” adding that he “affirmed the historic nature of the relationship and agreed to work together on mutual issues of concern and interest.” Even as Biden’s call was made to the Saudi King ahead of the release of an unclassified report from the US intelligence on journalist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, the president, in his telephonic conversation, nowhere mentioned Khashoggi or the critical report. Earlier, in a statement, The White House said that the United States Office of the Director of National Intelligence will publish the report that could expose King Salman's son, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, colloquially known as MBS, in an alleged crime. Kingdom's state-run Saudi Press Agency, meanwhile, did not mention Khashoggi’s report due to be published by the US while speaking about the call between Biden and King Salman. 

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