Iraqi President Claims Baghdad Hosted Secret Saudi-Iran Talks ‘More than Once’
Iraqi President Barham Salih claimed in an interview on Wednesday that Baghdad has “more than once” hosted secret talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Iraqi President Barham Salih claimed in an interview on Wednesday that Baghdad has “more than once” hosted secret talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Iranian officials and state media on Friday interpreted conciliatory remarks from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in an interview on Tuesday as proof the Saudis realize their intervention in Yemen was a failure, and have abandoned any hopes of defeating Iran in a struggle for regional authority.

Reuters reported Wednesday that “major Chinese investors” are in talks to buy a stake in Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the de facto chief executive of Saudi Arabia, said in a televised interview Tuesday that he wants to improve relations with regional rival Iran.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken refused to call Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a killer on Sunday’s broadcast of “State of the Union” when asked about President Joe Biden calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a killer.

Meghan Markle and Buckingham Palace engaged in an escalating war of words Wednesday after a report in the Times newspaper alleged she bullied members of staff when she was a working royal.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said “many” people in Saudi Arabia want to normalize relations with Israel, and expressed his hope the Gulf kingdom will join the Trump-brokered Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab nations.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to “unite efforts” against “threats posed by the Iranian regime” on Tuesday in his speech at the 41st GCC Summit in the Saudi city of Al-Ula.

Comedian and Family Feud host Steve Harvey is currently on a tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to promote tourism to the Gulf state, Saudi Arabia’s al-Arabiya reported on Thursday, enjoying a traditional performance this week with members of the al-Shehi tribe.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly flew to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in what would mark the first known encounter between leaders of the two countries, Israeli media reported.

The UK Guardian on Thursday published interviews with several of the almost 400 people imprisoned at the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton in Saudi Arabia in late 2017.

The foreign minister of Saudi Arabia said in a recent interview surfacing this week that nuclear weapons development was “definitely an option” if neighboring rival Iran continued on its path to illegally build its own nuclear bombs.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged Thursday to strike extremists with an “iron fist”, after a bombing against a gathering of Western diplomats was claimed by the Islamic State group.

Streaming giant Netflix announced on Wednesday that it has signed a five-year partnership deal with Saudi Arabian animation studio Myrkott, which produces a cartoon series called Masameer that is popular with Middle Eastern audiences.

In a recent article, Wired magazine outlines how an ongoing investigation has revealed that Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s team successfully infiltrate Twitter’s platform to shut down anonymous critics within Saudi Arabia.

The Hong Kong government — a puppet of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) — has hired an anti-Brexit strategist in an effort to revive its dwindling global reputation after the imposition of a draconian national security law which stripped the city of its freedoms and autonomy.

TEL AVIV – A staunchly pro-Israel Saudi journalist said he was stripped of his citizenship over charges of espionage, Arab media reported.

BAGHDAD — Iraq is planning painful cuts in social benefits relied on by millions of government workers. Saudi Arabia will likely have to delay mega-projects. Egypt and Lebanon face a blow as their workers in the Gulf send back less of the much-needed dollars that help keep their fragile economies afloat.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on Tuesday, called on the Sunni kingdom to “reassure global energy and financial markets” amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Saudi Arabia reportedly charged hundreds of government officials, including military and security personnel, with crimes involving bribery and exploiting public office, the nation’s anti-corruption agency said on Sunday.

Two senior members of the Saudi royal family were arrested on Friday and placed under investigation for treason. Two of their younger relatives were also detained in what observers portrayed as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launching a pre-emptive strike against threats to his rule before King Salman bin Abdulaziz passes the crown to him.

Authorities gifted the mysterious glowing orb from President Donald Trump’s 2017 visit to Saudi Arabia to the United States, according to a new book.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Thursday in a visit focused primarily on discussing shared security concerns about regional rival Iran.

TEL AVIV – A delegation of 55 major U.S. Jewish leaders traveled to Saudi Arabia last week in what was hailed as a “big step forward” in the kingdom’s warming ties with Israel. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish

TEL AVIV – A top ranking Saudi cleric will visit Auschwitz on Thursday in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of its liberation, as well as meet with Holocaust survivors at a Polish synagogue.

Any suggestion Saudi Arabia was in involved in the phone hacking of Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos was dismissed as “absurd” late Tuesday by the country’s embassy in Washington.

Actor Armie Hammer and model Sofia Richie were among a group of celebrities who recently put their vast social media following to the service of Saudi Arabia, appearing at a music festival in Riyadh as part of the kingdom’s on-going effort to rehabilitate its image.

A Saudi court sentenced five people to death on Monday for the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Wednesday released its annual report on journalists in prison and found China taking the top spot from Turkey, ending a three-year winning streak. Former world champion oppressor Turkey remained in second place, with Saudi Arabia surging ahead to tie with Egypt for third. Eritrea, Vietnam, Iran, and Russia fought to round out the list of dungeon keepers.

“The King said that the Saudi people are greatly angered by the barbaric actions of the shooter and that this person in no way shape or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people who love the American people,” Trump wrote.

Riyadh — Wall Street titans smiled and schmoozed at a Saudi investment conference widely shunned last year over a critic’s murder, but as wariness lingers some delegates kept their name cards discreetly out of sight.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh on Monday for his first visit in over 12 years.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a television interview that he takes “full responsibility” for the grisly murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but denied allegations that he ordered it.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) said in an interview published Wednesday that he deserves “all the responsibility” for the death of Jamal Khashoggi, but denied any involvement in the killing.

Discussions within the administration, and between Washington and Riyadh, continued this week as the U.S. considered how many troops to send to Saudi Arabia. The assessment comes in the wake of Iran’s attack on its oil facilities, and how those troops should be deployed.

The U.S. backs Saudi Arabia’s sovereign “right to defend itself” after a weekend attack on a crucial processing facility and oil field, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked South Korean President Moon Jae-in for help in crafting an air defense system to prevent future attacks such as the drone strikes on Saudi oil facilities that occurred this weekend, Seoul revealed.

Saudi energy giant Aramco is ready for a two-stage IPO but the timing is up to the government, its chief executive said Tuesday, flagging a possible foreign listing as part of the offering.

Long-promised new laws allowing Saudi women over 21 to travel without permission from a male guardian came into effect Tuesday.

Following convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide death in a Manhattan jail cell one week ago, details are emerging on what he left behind, including bizarre decor in his New York City apartment, such as the portrait of former President Bill Clinton dressed in drag.
