Biden forced to tread a pragmatic path back to Saudi Arabia

For all the careful choreography of Joe Biden's Middle East tour last week, the White House made a major miscalculation when the president finally came face to face with Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, for the first time.

- Bethan McKernan

Before Air Force One left Washington, the administration said Biden would not be shaking hands owing to a rise in Covid cases, a move widely believed to allow him to avoid creating an uncomfortable photo op with the powerful heir to the throne.

But the image of the two leaders leaning towards each other with hesitant smiles as they bumped fists, came across as relaxed and familiar.

Biden came to office determined to take a firmer line with the strongmen and autocrats beloved by Donald Trump. He had a particular enmity towards Prince Mohammed, who deposed his uncle to become next in line as king, waged a war in Yemen, and locked up or killed his critics.

On the campaign trail, in the aftermath of the gruesome murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Biden vowed to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah state". He has since refused to speak to the crown prince directly, liaising instead with his ailing father, King Salman. Shortly after arriving in the White House, Biden released US intelligence findings - suppressed by Trump - which concluded that Prince Mohammed approved the operation targeting the Washington Post journalist at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.