Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said on Sunday that he spoke to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saudi-US relations.
In a call with @SecDef, I extended my congratulations on his appointment as Secretary of Defense. We reviewed the Saudi-US relations and explored ways to strengthen our strategic defense cooperation. We also discussed efforts to advance international peace and security.— Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) February 15, 2025
In a post on X, Prince Khalid said during the call, the officials “explored ways to strengthen strategic defense cooperation,” and “discussed efforts to advance international peace and security.”
Prince Khalid said he congratulated Hegseth, the chief of Pentagon, on his new role as part of the administration under US President Donald Trump.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Ullyot said in a statement that during the introductory call, both officials reaffirmed “the critical defense partnership between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
“The Secretary welcomed Saudi Arabia’s contributions to regional security and encouraged continued collaboration on shared challenges. They agreed to remain in touch and coordinate closely on areas of mutual interest,” Ullyot added.
