US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) lands in Riyadh on January 13, 2019, during his extensive Middle East tour. / AFP / POOL / ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Saudi Arabia for talks Monday on a range of Mideast crises, topped by the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, threats from Iran and the Saudi response to the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi last year.
Pompeo was meeting with the Saudi king and crown prince in what is the latest stop of his Middle East tour that has so far been dominated by questions and concerns about the withdrawal of US troops from Syria.
In Riyadh, though, the Saudi-led fight against Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen, where the situation has been deemed the world's worst humanitarian crisis, will be a major agenda item, as well as holding perpetrators accountable for Khashoggi's slaying, according to US officials.
Speaking with senior Saudi officials on his arrival in Riyadh late Sunday, Pompeo stressed the importance of supporting a political solution to end Yemen's civil war and "the need for continued regional efforts to stand against the Iranian regime's malign activity and to advance peace, prosperity, and security," the State Department said.
The department said Pompeo also made clear the importance of a credible investigation into Khashoggi's killing at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October. Pompeo "emphasized the importance of Saudi Arabia continuing its investigation into the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in order to ascertain facts, assess information, and hold those responsible accountable."
The relationship between Riyadh and Washington remains tense following Khashoggi's brutal slaying and dismemberment at the consulate. Members of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's entourage have been implicated in the killing and US lawmakers have demanded America pull back its support of the Saudi-led war in Yemen.
"We will continue to have a conversation with the crown prince and the Saudis about ensuring that the accountability is full and complete with respect to the unacceptable murder of Jamal Khashoggi," Pompeo told reporters in Qatar on Sunday before heading to Riyadh. "We'll continue to talk about that and make sure we have all the facts so that they are held accountable certainly by the Saudis, but by the United States as well, where appropriate."
The ongoing blockade of Qatar by four of America's Arab partners will also feature in Pompeo's talks as it continues to be a major hindrance in a US-led effort to unite the Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Jordan in a military alliance to counter Iran.
Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates began a blockade of Qatar in June 2017.
Later, speaking to a US Embassy staff member in Qatar, Pompeo said: "It's on everyone's mind and not at all clear that the rift is any closer to being resolved today than it was yesterday - and I regret that."
