Biden talks about Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia

President Joe Biden flew from Israel to Saudi Arabia to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, where he told the future leader he cannot stay silent on human rights issues. United States intelligence agencies allege the prince ordered the torture and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Early in his presidency, Biden said he would treat Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” for its human rights abuses. 

Will Saudi Arabia increase oil production? The White House did not say it expected an immediate increase but did say it is working to “stabilize” the market. It said after the OPEC+ agreement expires in September, there could be an increase in production. Biden also announced a deal that includes U.S. peacekeepers leaving the Red Sea island of Tiran by the end of the year. The peacekeepers were originally sent to keep Israeli shipping lanes open. Biden said Saudi Arabia committed to upholding the previous agreements. 

Dig deeper: Read William Inboden’s column in WORLD Opinions on the pros and cons of working with Saudi Arabia.