Blinken to Meet UAE De Facto Leader as War Roils Oil Markets

Blinken and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed will “discuss regional security and international developments,” according to a U.S. statement. Washington has asked Gulf Arab oil exporters to boost output and counter price rises spurred by Russia’s invasion, and the plea may come up again in the talks expected to be held at the crown prince’s retreat near Morocco’s capital, Rabat.

Blinken’s trip to the Middle East has also focused on concerns in the region over world powers’ attempts to revive their nuclear deal with Iran. On Monday, he attended a meeting hosted by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and joined by counterparts from the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt and Morocco.

Gulf Arab governments and Israel opposed the 2015 deal that curbed Iran’s atomic program in return for sanctions relief. They argue it failed to address worries over the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile capabilities or its support for militias including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi fighters.