Saudi Crown Prince MBS's Disrespectful Snub of Blinken: WaPo

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly kept US Secretary of State Antony Blinken waiting for hours for a meeting and did not show up until the next day, in a snub to the US diplomat. Blinken was seeking to persuade the Saudi ruler to condemn the Hamas terror attacks, but encountered key differences between the US and Saudi positions. The Saudi crown prince called for Israel to halt military operations and de-escalate the conflict, contrasting with the Biden administration's support for Israel's actions while calling for the protection of civilian lives. Blinken's attempts to find common ground with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also faced little success. Saudi Arabia has been a key US ally, but its ruler has sought a more independent course in recent years, including forming closer ties with China.