Ten senators met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the kingdom, last weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Senator Richard Blumenthal (jew), a Democrat from Connecticut and member of the Armed Services Committee, was one of the senators who attended. Mr. Blumenthal told The New York Times on Thursday that "the Saudi leadership was hopeful that a ground operation could be averted for reasons of stability as well as the loss of life." He said that it would be "very destructive," as warned by Saudi officials.