Secretary Blinken’s Call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud

The below is attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The Secretary discussed the vital, ongoing work to prevent regional escalation and finalize a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Secretary Blinken thanked the Foreign Minister for Saudi Arabia's work to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The Secretary underscored our shared concerns about Houthi actions, including its seizure earlier this month of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana'a.

The Secretary thanked the Foreign Minister for Saudi Arabia's role as co-host of talks in Switzerland aimed at implementing the Jeddah Declaration and achieving a cessation of hostilities in Sudan - and underscored the need for the Sudanese Armed Forces to join the Rapid Support Forces in the negotiations.