The King of Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi agreed with President Donald Trump’s request to support safe zones for refugees in the Middle East, the White House announced Sunday. A White House readout of the call between President Trump and Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abd Al-Aziz Al Saud said that the King agreed to “support safe zones in Syria and Yemen, as well as supporting other ideas to help the many refugees who are displaced by the ongoing conflicts.”
The readout of the call between Trump and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan of the United Arab Emirates was less specific but shared the same sentiment. “The President also raised the idea of supporting safe zones for the refugees displaced by the conflict in the region, and the Crown Prince agreed to support this initiative,” the White House said.
President Trump also discussed joint-efforts with the Gulf states aimed towards defeating ISIS, according to the White House.
The president has previously called for safe zones in Syria but has not mentioned the possibility of safe zones in Yemen. Yemen is currently embroiled in a civil war, with the U.S. supporting the Saudi-backed government against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
