Blinken meets Saudi crown prince before heading to Israel

AL ULA, Saudi Arabia — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met on Monday with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman before heading to Israel as part of efforts to stop the Gaza war spiralling into a regional conflict.

Blinken was expected to discuss Red Sea attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, Saudi Arabia's southern neighbour, during his talks with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

Their private meeting in Al Ula, a historic oasis in western Saudi, is the latest leg of a rapid tour of the region as concerns over the Hamas-Israel war continue to mount.

Blinken "emphasised the importance of preventing further spread of the conflict", during talks in Abu Dhabi earlier with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a US summary of the meeting said.

"This is a conflict that could easily metastasise, causing even more insecurity and even more suffering," Blinken said on Sunday in Qatar, the previous leg of his whistlestop tour.

Vowing solidarity with the Palestinians, Yemen's Houthis have launched more than 100 drone and missile attacks on targets in Israel and the Red Sea, disrupting traffic in the key shipping route.

The United States and 11 allies last week warned of unspecified consequences if the attacks continue.