Riyadh 15 Aug (ANA) - Saudi Arabia's crown prince has told two former American officials that he "wants out" of the two-year war he started in Yemen, and that he is not against US rapprochement with Iran, according to leaked emails published by Middle East Eye. The revelation sheds light on the thinking of Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the 31-year-old heir to the Saudi throne, also known as MBS. The leaks pertain to discussions he held on the Middle East with Martin Indyk, a former US ambassador to Israel, and Steven Hadley, who served as US national security adviser during George W Bush's presidency. The conversation took place at least one month before Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, accusing it of trying to undermine their war in Yemen and for having friendly relations with Iran. The details of the meeting between MBS and the former American officials were revealed in an email exchange, between Indyk and Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE's ambassador in Washington, DC. The email exchange was obtained by the GlobalLeaks campaign group, according to Middle East Eye. MBS's doubts about Decisive Storm further undermines the position of the Yemeni president in exile, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, in whose name the Saudi-led campaign against the Houthis and their allies was launched. In one email, Otaiba and Indyk can be seen discussing the difference between the young MBS and the elder leadership of Saudi Arabia, with the former describing him as a "pragmatic leader". The emails also paint a picture of how Otaiba and the UAE leadership view the future Saudi Arabia. The emails further reveal conversations between Otaiba and Elliott Abrams, former Bush administration official and pro-Israel hawk, who describes the UAE's objectives in the region as the "new hegemon" and "Emirati imperialism". The conflict in Yemen has escalated dramatically since March 2015, when Saudi-led forces launched a military operation against the Iran-allied Houthi fighters. Since the conflict began, more than 10,000 people have been killed and millions have been driven from their homes.(ANA)

FA/ANA/15 August 2017--------