On March 4, 2025, senior Saudi diplomat Hassan Yassin,[1] who serves as an advisor to King Salman bin Abdulaziz, published in the English-language daily Arab News an article titled "Let the World Join Forces, as It Did in 1991." In the article he welcomed the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump to form a new world order grounded in coexistence and cooperation and called on the Arab countries to support this initiative, as they supported the U.S.-led coalition during the first Gulf War in 1991. Trump's policy of reconciliation and resolving conflicts, he said, can bring an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict and usher in a new age of peace, stability and cooperation in the region.
It should be mentioned that, on December 17, 2024, Yassin published a similar article in which he argued that the current developments in the Middle East create an opportunity for advancing peace, including with Israel, after many years of chaos.[2]
Left: Hassan Yassin with Saudi King Salman; right: Yassin with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (Images: Youtube.com/@HewarMofeed)
The following are excerpts from Yassin's recent article:[3]
"On Nov. 29, 1990, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 678, empowering a US-led coalition to use 'all necessary means' to remove Iraqi troops from Kuwait if [they did not leave] by Jan. 15, 1991. It was a historic vote in the UNSC, with neither China nor the Soviet Union resorting to their veto power. China abstained and the Soviet Union voted for the resolution. This ultimately led to a 42-country coalition enforcing the UN resolution militarily and with success. Just as in 1991, the world order is today shifting and there are new opportunities for the world to come together to end disputes and foster a new atmosphere of cooperation.
"There is no denying that US President Donald Trump is upending old methods and alliances, forcing a new world order. While we may not all be fans of the new president or his impulsiveness, there is clearly an opportunity to contribute to a new world order that can be focused on ending disputes and promoting greater cooperation worldwide. On a geostrategic level, President Trump is moving from confrontation to greater dialogue and cooperation with the great powers that are Russia and China. The US remains the world’s most influential power and has the capacity to provide an impulse similar to that which led to a global coalition removing Saddam Hussein from Kuwait.
"An American reconciliation and enhanced cooperation with Russia and China can set the stage for a more peaceful and collaborative world order. If President Trump can push Russia and Ukraine to end their conflict and embark upon an era of peace, then I believe we can get Israel to do the same in the Arab world. The US has the ability to make this age-old dispute a conflict of the past. It is clear to everyone that Israel and the Arab world must coexist peacefully, with major gains available to all in terms of stability, trade and a regional economy that could really take off. President Trump also realizes that Israel cannot occupy Palestine and areas of Lebanon and Syria indefinitely. As a result, a great play for peace is there for him to seize.
"If these objectives are within the reach of a new world order of coexistence and cooperation, perhaps those who currently oppose Trump should give him a chance, encourage him and allow him to claim credit for achieving the objectives of global peace and stability. We once lived in an age of mutually assured destruction; let us at least try an age of mutually advisable cooperation. Just as the war in Ukraine can be ended through cooperation and innovative solutions, so can the Arab-Israeli conflict…
"Perchance President Trump is onto something. Perhaps we can all give him the benefit of the doubt and do what we can to help him achieve goals that will benefit us all. Medicine does not always taste good, but if it is effective then we should all be open to it to usher in a new era of peace, stability and cooperation."
[1] Hassan Yassin was an associate of previous Saudi kings and many other Saudi officials, and worked closely with Saudi petroleum and finance ministers. He is the founder of the Saudi Information Office in the U.S., which he also headed in 1972-1981. His father was senior Saudi statesman Youssuf Yassin, who was an advisor and associate of the founder of the Saudi kingdom, King Abd Al-Aziz Aal Sa'ud.
[2] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11813, Advisor To Saudi King: The Changes Unfolding In The Middle East Provide An Opportunity For Peace With Israel, February 4, 2025.
[3] Arab News (Saud Arabia), March 4, 2025.
