Rubio’s talks with the Saudi leader in Riyadh follow a visit to Israel where he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during talks with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday that any “arrangement” for the future of the Gaza Strip should consider regional security.
“The Secretary underscored the importance of an arrangement for Gaza that contributes to regional security,” the US State Department said in a statement following the meeting in Riyadh.
📹 | HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. pic.twitter.com/X6dZGSXUxb
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 17, 2025
They also “discussed ways to advance shared interests in Syria, Lebanon, and across the region, to include Red Sea security and freedom of navigation.”
On the Gaza ceasefire, Rubio and the Crown Prince “reaffirmed their commitment to implementing” the agreement “and ensuring that Hamas releases all hostages, including American citizens.”
The Secretary also “looked forward” to increased economic and defense cooperation between the two countries and “committed to further strengthening the bilateral partnership.”
Bilateral Relations
According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) “the two sides reviewed the bilateral relations between their countries and discussed ways to enhance and develop them in various fields.”
The agency said they “also exchanged views on regional and international developments and the ongoing efforts to address them to achieve security and stability,” but made no mention of Gaza.
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Rubio was accompanied by US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and other officials.
US President Donald Trump has been widely criticized for his “take over” proposal for Gaza as well as the forced displacement of its population – a plan rejected by Egypt, Jordan and other nations.
Meeting with Netanyahu
On Sunday, Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, stating that there “has been no stronger ally for Israel in the White House than President Trump.”
“The President has also been very bold about his view of what the future for Gaza should be – not the same tired ideas of the past but something that’s bold and something that frankly took courage and vision in order to outline,” he said at a joint press briefing with Netanyahu.
“If there were more Israels in the Middle East, more countries like that, the world would be a safer and better place,” said U.S Secretary Marco Rubio at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, according to a statement by the U.S.… pic.twitter.com/vgrXjGK0SL
— TRT World (@trtworld) February 17, 2025
“ And it may have shocked and surprised many, but what cannot continue is the same cycle where we will repeat over and over again and wind up in the exact same place,” Rubio continued.
He also reiterated that “the President has been very clear” on his stance on Hamas.
“Hamas cannot continue as a military or government force. And frankly, as long as it stands as a force that can govern or as a force that can administer or as a force that can threaten by use of violence, peace becomes impossible,” Rubeo stated.
He added: “They must be eliminated. It must be eradicated.”
Syria and Lebanon
The Secretary of State also commented on Syria saying that Damascus “replacing one one destabilizing force for another is not a positive development.”
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He said the US “will watch very carefully” the situation “as we seek to craft our own strategy with regards to how to approach the events in Syria.”
On Lebanon, Rubio said that the US and Israel’s “goals are aligned and the same: a strong Lebanese state that can take on and disarm Hexbollah.”
Claims against Iran
The US official went on to say that the “common theme in all of these challenges is Iran,” accusing Tehran of being “the single greatest source of instability in the region.”
“Behind every terrorist group, behind every act of violence, behind every destabilizing activity, behind everything that threatens peace and stability for the millions of people who call this region home, is Iran,” he claimed.
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Rubio also stated that “there can never be a nuclear Iran – a nuclear Iran that could then hold itself immune from pressure and from action. That can never happen. The President has been clear about that as well.”
The Secretary of State met with a Russian delegation headed by Moscow’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Riyadh on Tuesday. The meeting was a follow-up to Trump’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 12, the State Department said.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
