Saudi defense minister heads to Washington as fears of regional war ramp up – report

This handout picture released by the Saudi Royal Palace shows Saudi Arabia's Prince Khalid bin Salman, the second son of the reigning monarch, taking the oath as defense minister at al-Salam Royal Palace in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on September 27, 2022. (Bandar AL-JALOUD / Saudi Royal Palace / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Saudi Royal Palace shows Saudi Arabia's Prince Khalid bin Salman, the second son of the reigning monarch, taking the oath as defense minister at al-Salam Royal Palace in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on September 27, 2022. (Bandar AL-JALOUD / Saudi Royal Palace / AFP)

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman is expected at the White House on Monday for talks with officials in the Biden administration, Axios reports.

The meetings will come as fears ramp up that the war between Israel and the Hamas terror group following its October 7 shock onslaught, could expand into a regional war, according to the report.

The Saudis on Saturday said that “any ground operation by Israel would threaten the lives of Palestinian civilians and result in inhumane dangers,” according to a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement.

Citing three sources with knowledge of the meetings, Axios reports that bin Salman will meet with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Tony Blinken as well as several senators.

In the weeks before the war, Saudi Arabia had spoken of progress in US-led diplomacy to normalize relations with Israel.

Earlier this week, Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed in a phone call to eventually “build on” the US-brokered negotiations that had been underway to normalize Israel-Saudi ties.

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