Saturday 20 / April / 2024
Washington: US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday discussed tensions with Iran and a Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen which has come under criticism in Congress.
Their talks at the White House were part of the first visit by the prince to the United States since he became the heir apparent last June. Prince Mohammed has consolidated power and is likely to rule for many decades if he succeeds his father.
The prince is on a public relations blitz while travelling in the United States, with stops in New York, Boston, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston. Trump and the crown prince underscored the strength of US-Saudi ties which suffered under the Obama administration.
Saudi Arabia, a decades-long US ally, felt neglected by president Barack Obama's pursuit of a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
Sitting side by side in the Oval Office, Trump said, "We've become very good friends over a very short period of time," and produced charts to show the depth of Saudi purchases of US military hardware and what he said were the number of American jobs they are providing.
"The relationship now is probably as good as it's really ever been and I think will probably only get better - tremendous investments made in our country and that means jobs for our workers," Trump told reporters during a picture-taking session with the crown prince. Prince Mohammed, in a rare foray into speaking English in public, praised the US-Saudi alliance.
Both Trump and the crown prince want to constrain Iran's rising influence in the Middle East.
The prince is also due to have dinner with Jared Kushner, Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law, along with Jason Greenblatt, the two point men in the Trump administration overseeing Middle East peace efforts.
Prince Mohammed and Kushner have forged a close relationship, which has at times come under criticism in Washington for circumventing normal diplomatic channels. The crown prince is also due to meet with members of the US Congress, some of whom have been critical of the Saudi campaign in Yemen, particularly the humanitarian situation and civilian casualties.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Saudi Arabia and on Tuesday blasted a resolution against US involvement in the conflict in Yemen, which is due for a vote later in the day.
Senator Bernie Sanders, a sponsor of the resolution, said the United States, a major provider of weapons to Saudi Arabia and intelligence and logistical support to the Saudis in Yemen, should not be involved in the three-year-old war that has unleashed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
A Saudi-led coalition is fighting Houthis, who say they are fighting a revolution against corrupt politicians.
Washington is the first stop of the crown prince's visit to the United States, where he will meet with US business and industry leaders to cultivate investments. The Trump administration is keen to sign multi-billion dollar deals for US firms.
