Biden's double success in the Middle East

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden yesterday at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.Susan Walsh / AP

Joe Biden, who assumed the presidency of the United States just over a month ago, has made two important decisions this week - both correct - in one of the most complex areas of the international scene, the Middle East.

The CIA's release of a report linking Saudi Arabian strongman Prince Mohamed bin Salman to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi - kidnapped, murdered and dismembered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018 - is a remarkable warning about the importance that the US is going to give to respect for human rights regardless of the importance of its partners.

Biden underscored this concept in a telephone conversation with the Saudi king.

There is no doubt about the historical importance of the alliance between Washington and Riyadh, nor are the human rights violations by the Saudi regime unquestionable.

It is timely that the Biden Administration take a step such as making public the implication of high-ranking Saudi personalities in the murder of a dissident.

It is desirable now that this notice is the beginning of a more demanding policy to the desert kingdom in terms of human rights.

• Biden Administration changes course in relation with Saudi Arabia

The other important decision is Biden's first public military order with an air strike in Syria against infrastructures controlled by militias operating in that country with the backing of Iran.

As it has transpired, Biden chose the most moderate of the three military options on the table, which, on the one hand, sends a signal of firmness to Tehran and at the same time tries not to break the rapprochement with the Ayatollah regime. to achieve the reactivation of the nuclear treaty that was blown up when his predecessor unilaterally abandoned it in 2018. The president of the United States thus demonstrates an accurate knowledge of the diplomatic board.

Both of Biden's decisions exude transparency;

safeguarding alliances or preferring diplomatic outlets does not mean hesitating in response or looking the other way when faced with excesses.