United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Sunday while on a crisis tour of the Middle East.
The meeting, which was closed to the media, occurred at Prince Mohammed’s royal farm residence outside the capital, US officials said.
“Very productive,” Blinken said when asked about the meeting after returning to his hotel.
News agencies reported that the meeting lasted for just under an hour.
US President Joe Biden’s administration is scrambling to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from escalating into a broader regional conflict.
“The Secretary highlighted the United States’ unwavering focus on halting terrorist attacks by Hamas, securing the release of all hostages, and preventing the conflict from spreading,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
