US NSA talks with Saudi Crown Prince MBS on Yemen war

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has a telephone conversation with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday. The talks between the two come as the Saudi and Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen are making “significant progress” towards finding a permanent end to their nine-year conflict. The crown prince, often referred to as MBS, has had a strained relationship with President Joe Biden over human rights and oil production concerns. But the Saudi leader and the president’s top national security adviser decided to speak out amid encouraging signs that ending the long and bloody war is a top priority for Biden.

Talks after Saudi envoy meeting Houthi leaders

Saudi diplomat Mohammed bin Saeed al-Jaber has held talks with Houthi officials in Yemen’s capital Sanaa after talks aimed at accelerating talks to end the war. The official said Eden’s special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, is being flown to the Saudi capital Riyadh this week for follow-up talks with Saudi officials. CIA Director William Burns visited Saudi Arabia last week to meet with intelligence officials. Iran is the main foreign supporter of the Houthis in the Yemen conflict.

According to a senior Biden administration official familiar with the talks, both sides will have to work hard because the talks remain very complex. The official said that the final agreement has not been reached. He cautioned that the situation remains complex. According to the White House, Biden’s special envoy to Yemen, Tim Lenderking, will be sent to the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh this week for further talks with Saudi officials. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director William Burns visited Saudi Arabia last week to meet intelligence officials.