President Biden’s visit to the Middle East, scheduled for late June, has been postponed to July, two senior Israeli officials and a US official said.
Why it matters: This will be Biden’s first trip to the region since taking office.
News movement: US officials told Israel on Friday night that the visit would be postponed to July due to schedule problems and the need for more time to prepare for the trip, the two Israeli officials said.
- A US official also confirmed that the visit was postponed to July, but stressed that the reason was the president’s busy schedule with his trip to Europe. The American official said that the postponement was not related to the domestic political situation in Israel.
- NBC News was the first to announce that Biden’s trip has been postponed.
Catch up quickly: The trip was expected to include a summit in Saudi Arabia with the leaders of nine Arab countries, as Axios reported earlier. Biden also plans to visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
- Biden was expected to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who the US intelligence community says was responsible for the 2018 assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Kashoghi, a claim rejected by Saudi officials.
What they say: Biden signaled on Friday that his trip may not take place in June.
- The president said there were currently “no direct plans” to go to the region, but added that he had the “opportunity” to go and meet with Israeli and Arab leaders, including those in Saudi Arabia.
Go deeper: US negotiates agreement between Saudis, Israelis and Egyptians
Add Comment