Cracked rib forces Biden aide to postpone Saudi trip

One of US President Joe Biden's top aides was forced to postpone a trip to Saudi Arabia to discuss relations with Israel after he cracked a rib, the White House said Wednesday.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's visit was part of a bid by Washington to push ally Riyadh to normalise ties with Israel once the Gaza war is over.

"Jake was planning to head to the region this week, that trip has been postponed. He's recovering from a cracked rib and that has affected his ability to travel," White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

He did not say how Sullivan - Biden's point man on all national security issues, who has played a key role in the US response to Israel's war on Gaza - had hurt himself.

"This was a minor accident of his own, it was not caused by anybody, it was not the result of a nefarious act," Kirby added.

Before the start of the war on October 7, Saudi Arabia had been mulling steps to establish relations with Israel, a potentially historic step for the country that is the guardian of Islam's two holiest sites.

Israel's offensive on Gaza has now strained ties between Washington and key regional allies including Saudi Arabia amid fury in the Arab world over the mounting death toll in Gaza, where about 33,000 people have been killed in around six months.