US Defense Chief Meets With Saudi Deputy Crown Prince

US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met with Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman at the Pentagon on Thursday.

The meeting follows the deputy crown prince’s meeting with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

According to Pentagon Spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis, Secretary Mattis and the deputy crown prince affirmed the importance of the US-Saudi Arabia defense relationship, and discussed the security environment in the Middle East, to include confronting Iran’s destabilizing regional activities.

Additionally, the two discussed US-Saudi Arabia military cooperation in defeating the Islamic State and other transnational terrorist organizations, Davis said, adding that the two leaders stated they looked forward to deepening the US-Saudi Arabia defense partnership and continuing to work closely together.