Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 17, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 17, 2025
Top US diplomat Rubio meets Saudi crown prince in Riyadh
U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, meets with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Monday Feb. 17, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool Photo via AP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the State Department says, during the top diplomat’s first Middle East tour.
The meeting in Riyadh began just before 6 p.m., a State Department official says. Rubio was expected to discuss President Donald Trump’s widely criticized plan for the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip and move its Palestinian inhabitants elsewhere.
