White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan postpones Saudi trip

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has postponed plans to travel to Saudi Arabia this week as he recovers from a cracked rib following a minor accident, the White House said on Wednesday.

Sullivan had been due to hold talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid a US push for progress toward normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The injury "has affected his ability to travel," White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. "This was a minor accident of his own. It was not caused by anybody. It was not the result of a nefarious act."

Kirby said Sullivan looks forward to rescheduling the trip, but did not provide a date.

Talks on normalization had been put on ice in the immediate aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian Hamas fighters on southern Israel and Israel's subsequent assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza, but conversations have resumed in recent months.

As part of a normalization deal, Saudi Arabia wants to clinch a mutual defense pact with Washington and get US support for its civil nuclear program.

Reuters