President Joe Biden has spoken with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ahead of the Biden administration’s expected release of a long-awaited report implicating Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Biden “affirmed the importance the United States places on universal human rights and the rule of law," according to the White House readout of the call, adding that the two leaders discussed the war in Yemen and the US commitment to Saudi Arabia's defense. The White House didn't say whether Biden has raised the Khashoggi report, as expected, with his Saudi counterpart.