Kushner to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar to try to mend Gulf rift
Jared Kushner's planned trip to the Gulf comes after the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist and a high-profile visit between Israel and Saudi Arabia's leaders.
US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser will visit Saudi Arabia and Qatar this week. The Trump administration is making several Middle East policy-related pushes before President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January.
Jared Kushner will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Reuters reported on Sunday.
It is unclear what Kushner, who is also Trump’s son-in-law, will discuss with the two Gulf leaders. The timing of the visit comes shortly after Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed. Both the United States and Israel believe Iran is seeking to build a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies. Iran has already blamed Israel and the United States for the killing. Saudi Arabia is also a staunch opponent of Iran’s policy in the region.
Kushner will be joined by the US envoy for international negotiations Avi Berkowitz and former Iran envoy Brian Hook, according to the US government-funded Radio Free Europe. US International Development Finance Corporation head Adam Boehler will also reportedly attend.
