Preview: Biden’s trip to the Middle East

President Biden is on his first trip as president to the Middle East, where he will visit Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Biden will hold a controversial meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been widely blamed for the 2018 murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Biden once said he would make Saudi leadership a “pariah” internationally after Khashoggi was killed and dismembered, but the president is now seeking to improve ties with Riyadh.

The president is dealing with high gas prices in the United States, and while the administration has downplayed the significance of oil prices in the context of the visit, it’s expected that Biden will press the Saudi leadership to take steps to lower prices. Prices have skyrocketed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Before Saudi Arabia, Biden will be in Israel for a visit focused on Iran and on Israel’s relationship with the Palestinian people. He is expected to stress that Iran, not the U.S., will be isolated internationally until it returns to the nuclear deal.

Watch the video above for more.