U.S. President Joe Biden wrapped up his Middle East trip vowing to remain engaged in the region and to help countries there resist the drives for influence by Iran, Russia, and China.
Iran was among the main targets of Biden’s criticism as he left Saudi Arabia on July 16 for the flight back to Washington.
"Let me say clearly that the United States is going to remain an active engaged partner in the Middle East," Biden said at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
"We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia, or Iran," Biden said.
Biden said the United States wants to help step up protection of international shipping in the Middle East, seen as a clear reference to Iran.
"The United States will not allow foreign or regional powers to jeopardize freedom of navigation through the Middle East," he said.
He also restated that Washington will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, echoing comments he made in Israel at the start of his first Middle East trip since taking office.
Iran on July 17 reacted by accusing Washington of provoking tensions in the Middle East.
Washington "has once again resorted to the failed policy of Iran-phobia, trying to create tensions and crises in the region," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in a statement.
Sunni-Muslim majority Saudi Arabia is a bitter rival of Shi'ite-led Iran, both of home are battling for influence in the region.
Among the leading items of Biden’s agenda on his stop in Saudi Arabia was to seek a commitment by Riyadh and members of OPEC and OPEC+ to boost output at a time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had disrupted supplies, raised prices, and led to global concerns of a new energy crisis.
Saudi Arabia said it is willing to increase its daily oil production capacity by 1 million barrels, though the country’s leaders said that does not necessarily mean more actual oil production.
The vow to hike capacity came on July 16 from Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman following his meetings with Biden.
The prince said Saudi Arabia would raise its production capacity to 13 million barrels a day by 2027 from 12 million now and "after that the kingdom will not have any more capability to increase production."
Biden avoided appearing to embrace the crown prince implicated by U.S. intelligence in the brutal 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but a photo of Biden and the crown prince fist bumping circulated worldwide.
Saudi authorities deny charges that the crown prince was involved in or ordered the murder.
Biden said he confronted the prince over the killing, but that he remained defiant, telling Biden the United States had also made mistakes.