U.S. urges Saudi Arabia to be more ‘measured’

The top U.S. diplomat urged Saudi Arabia on Friday to temper its actions toward Yemen, Qatar and other neighbours, gently turning up the pressure as Saudi’s powerful crown prince asserts power both at home and overseas, as the White House raised new alarms about the situation in Yemen.

During a brief visit to France, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson drew a distinction between Saudi Arabia’s recent domestic moves and its behaviour elsewhere in the Middle East.

He declared strong American support for the kingdom’s internal reforms, which include Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s corruption crackdown against powerful princes, businessmen and military officers. Opponents see it as a power grab. Internationally, Tillerson encouraged Saudi restraint.

“With respect to Saudi Arabia’s engagement with Qatar, how they’re handling the Yemen war that they’re engaged in, the Lebanon situation, we would encourage them to be a bit more measured and a bit more thoughtful in those actions to, I think, fully consider the consequences,” Tillerson said.

Tillerson’s comments signalled America’s increasing perception the Saudis may be overreaching on the global stage. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump directed aides to call Saudi leaders to demand an immediate end to the kingdom’s blockade on war-ravaged Yemen, where the Saudis have led a military intervention against the Iranianbacked Houthi rebels who control much of the country.