Blinken meets Saudi Crown Prince amid strained ties, seeks cooperation

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his trip to Saudi Arabia to repair strained relations between the two nations.
Discussions focused on enhancing economic and security cooperation despite ongoing tensions over oil prices, Saudi-Russia relations, and Saudi-Iran détente.
Blinken aims to reestablish US influence over Saudi Arabia and counter Chinese and Russian regional influence during his trip.
Blinken and the crown prince acknowledged the need to continue discussions on human rights and democratic reforms within Saudi Arabia during their meeting.
In addition to meeting the crown prince, Blinken attended an anti-Islamic State summit and met with Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers during his visit to Saudi Arabia.