Mohammed bin Salman to the Washington Post: Trump's decision to move embassy to Jerusalem is a painful step

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Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. (Reuters)
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US Vice President Mike Pence hosts a dinner in honor of Saudi Crown Prince on the occasion of his visit to the US. (SPA)
Updated 24 March 2018
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Mohammed bin Salman to the Washington Post: Trump's decision to move embassy to Jerusalem is a painful step

LONDON: Mohammed bin Salman told The Washington Post: My relationship with Special Adviser to President Trump, Jared Kushner, is part of the official relationship between our countries.
Saudi Arabia does not use Special Adviser to the President to promote Saudi interests. In his interview with the Washington Post Mohammed bin Salman added “my visit to the US is in part to attract investment to Saudi Arabia. The Crown prince who is trying to reform and diversify his country’s economy added that Saudi Arabia hold 5% of of world uranium reserves” and he added, “ If we don’t make use of our uranium it is as if we have abandoned the use of oil.”
The Crown Prince also discussed the situation in the Middle East and he said that the region has potential “If we resolve all problems in our region the Middle East will be the new Europe.” and he added that his country is doing its best to help the region and “did not spare any opportunity to help Yemen.”
On the question of peace between Israel and the Palestinians the Saudi Crown Prince said that President Trump decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem  is a painful step. 
In his discussion with the Washington Post the Saudi Crown Prince reiterated that “Islam is a moderate and tolerant religion, and it has been kidnapped in recent years. 


Threat to Kingdom’s security is ‘red line’ that will be ‘addressed and neutralized,’ Saudi envoy says

Updated 14 January 2026
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Threat to Kingdom’s security is ‘red line’ that will be ‘addressed and neutralized,’ Saudi envoy says

  • Abdulaziz Alwasil tells UN Security Council the situation in southern Yemen is ‘a just cause with social and historic dimensions’ that can only be resolved through dialogue
  • Recent military activity in the south was unilateral, resulting in an escalation that harms the interests of Yemeni people and undermines efforts to address issues in the south, he said

NEW YORK CITY: Any attempt to threaten Saudi Arabia’s national security is a “red line” and will be met with decisive action, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the UN told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Speaking during a meeting of the council to discuss Yemen, Abdulaziz Alwasil said the situation in the south of the country is “a just cause with social and historic dimensions” that can only be resolved through dialogue.

“We stress that any attempt to threaten our national security is a red line, and we will not hesitate to take the necessary actions and steps to address it and neutralize it,” he added.

Alwasil reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemeni President Rashad Al-Alimi, the Presidential Leadership Council, and the Yemeni government in their efforts to achieve security, stability, development and peace while preserving national unity.

He said military activity by Southern Transitional Council forces in Hadramout and Al-Mahra on Dec. 2, 2025, was unilateral, did not have the approval of the Presidential Leadership Council, and was not carried out in coordination with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.

It had resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people, undermined efforts to address the issues in the south, and ran counter to the coalition’s objectives, Alwasil added.

The Kingdom, working with its coalition partners, the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government, had moved to contain the situation by dispatching a military force to coordinate arrangements with the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, he said.

The aim was to ensure the return of the southern council’s forces to their previous positions outside of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, and the handover of camps to legitimate government forces and local authorities in line with agreed procedures, Alwasil added.

He expressed regret over the military operations that took place in Hadramout and Al-Mahra, close to Saudi Arabia’s southern border, which he said posed a direct threat to the Kingdom’s national security, as well as the security of Yemen and regional stability. Such steps were extremely dangerous, he added, and contradicted the principles on which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen had been founded.

Alwasil welcomed a prisoner and detainee exchange agreement signed in Muscat on Dec. 23, which he described as an important humanitarian measure to alleviate suffering and build confidence.

He praised Oman for hosting and sponsoring the consultations and supporting negotiations, and commended the efforts of UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all others that has played a part.

Regarding the political efforts to resolve the crisis, Alwasil said Saudi Arabia welcomed President Al-Alimi’s call for an inclusive conference in Riyadh to bring together all stakeholders to discuss just solutions to the situation in southern Yemen.

Preparations for the conference have begun, he added, in cooperation with the Yemeni government and southern representatives, reflecting the close ties between the two countries and their shared interests in stabilizing Yemen.

He urged all southern stakeholders to participate actively and constructively in the talks, to help find comprehensive and just solutions that meet the legitimate aspirations of the people of southern Yemen.

Alwasil called on all Yemeni forces and stakeholders to cooperate and intensify their efforts to reach a lasting political settlement that would ensure security and stability.

He described the southern issue as “a just cause with social and historic dimensions,” adding that “the only way to address it is through dialogue that leads to a comprehensive political solution” based on nationally and internationally agreed terms of reference.