Saudi Arabia Vigilant, Weary of Broader War as Tensions Escalate

As the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) continue to gain ground in the Gaza Strip against the Iranian-backed Islamic terrorist group Hamas, the Sunni Persian Gulf Monarchy of Saudi Arabia has issued recent statements in the past few days attempting to cool tensions in the Middle East and the Arab World.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman announced that he was visiting the White House to talk with senior Biden administration officials about the ongoing war and ways to prevent the conflict from becoming a broader war.

The visit comes as the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist group in Southern Yemen fired rockets towards Israel, which was reportedly intercepted by the Kingdom's military forces.

According to the White House, President Biden spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) about American diplomatic and military efforts to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies in the region from joining the war.

The President told MBS that the administration "fully supports the defense of United States partners facing terrorist threats, whether from state or non-state actors."

Both leaders agreed to build on the US-brokered negotiations that had been underway in the past few months to normalize ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia before the war began.

Over the weekend, the Kingdom stated that any ground operation by Israel would "threaten the lives of Palestinian civilians and result in inhumane dangers."

Before Hamas attacked Israeli civilians at a dance concert Oct. 7th, reports from Riyadh and Jerusalem indicated that Saudi Arabia was getting ready to officially announce public normalization with Israel, which made many in the Islamic Republic of Iran worried.

As the conflict continues, Saudi Arabia has called on civilians from the Middle East in Lebanon to evacuate, fearing the involvement of Iran proxies against Israel.

The USS Carney intercepted several cruise missiles and drones launched from Yemen by Iran-backed Houthi militants. According to the Wall Street Journal and other media outlets, Saudi Arabia shot down a missile launched by the Houthis in a move to protect its airspace.