First Comment from the White House After the Saudi-Iranian Agreement to Restore Relations

John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, revealed on Friday that Saudi Arabia kept Washington informed about its talks with Iran to resume diplomatic relations, but the United States did not participate directly. Kirby told reporters that "the Saudis have indeed kept us in the loop about these discussions they were having, just as we keep them informed about our activities, but we did not participate directly." In a conversation with "Reuters," he noted that the U.S. "welcomes any efforts to help end the war in Yemen and ease tensions in the Middle East." He added, "De-escalation and diplomacy, together with deterrence, are cornerstones of the policy established by President Joe Biden during his visit to the region last year."