Anthony Blinken

A joint US-Gulf statement, issued today, Thursday, affirmed “commitment to freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Middle East region.”

The statement welcomed the decision of Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic relations between them.

He stressed the importance of “reaching a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, according to the two-state solution,” and stressed “the commitment to reaching a political solution in Syria that preserves its sovereignty.”

The statement expressed “concern” about the fighting in Sudan, stressing its support for “ending the conflict.”

The US-Gulf statement also expressed “support for Yemen’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.”

The US-Gulf statement comes at the end of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s visit to Saudi Arabia, which began last Tuesday and lasted for 3 days, and sought to improve strained relations with the oil-rich kingdom.

Blinken’s plane landed in Jeddah, on his first visit to the Kingdom since the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement, and the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries in an agreement sponsored by China last March, after a 7-year break.

Washington’s relationship with the Gulf was strained when OPEC +, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, decided to cut oil production, which led to a rise in oil prices a month before the mid-term elections in the United States, in which inflation was a major issue of heated debate, according to the agency.bloombergAmerican.

Also read: Changes in Saudi policy towards the region excite Washington

And Iran had announced, last Monday, through the spokesperson of its Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, that it would officially reopen, on Tuesday and Wednesday, its embassy in Riyadh, the Consulate General in Jeddah, and the office of Iran’s representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah as well.

This came after Iran and Saudi Arabia announced, in a joint statement on March 10, the agreement to resume dialogue and diplomatic relations under the auspices of China, and to reopen the embassies in the two countries within two months.

Two days ago, the commander of the Iranian army’s naval forces, Admiral Shahram Irani, spoke of the formation of a naval alliance in the near future between Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Pakistan, India, and almost all countries in the northern Indian Ocean.

An Iranian had confirmed last month that “the countries of the region have the necessary capabilities and capabilities that enable them to dispense with the rest of the forces,” adding that “the Iranian army’s navy has now reflected the greatness and strength of the Islamic Republic to all countries of the world.”

Also read: The Washington Post: The era of American hegemony in the Middle East is over