Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman gestures during an event. File photo

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The crown prince, often referred to by his initials MBS, has had a strained relationship with President Joe Biden over human rights and oil production concerns. But the de facto Saudi leader and the president’s top national security adviser decided to talk amid encouraging signs on winding down the long and bloody war, a top priority for Biden.

The call came after Saudi diplomat Mohammed Bin Saeed Al Jaber met with Houthi officials in Yemen's capital Sanaa on Sunday for talks that were aimed at accelerating negotiations on ending the war.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during a meeting. File photo

The White House said in statement that Sullivan "welcomed Saudi Arabia’s extraordinary efforts" to pursue a more comprehensive roadmap for ending the war and offered full US support for those efforts. A nongovernmental official familiar with the ongoing negotiations said a deal is close at hand and could be reached within the next seven to 10 days. The official was not authorised to comment and requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive private talks.

The White House remains cautiously optimistic about the way ahead. But the two sides still have work to do and the negotiations remain complex, according to a senior Biden administration official familiar with the negotiations. The official, who was not authorised to comment publicly, added that a final agreement has not been reached and cautioned that the situation remains complex.

Associated Press