The acting top US military general reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the security of Saudi Arabia during a meeting at the Pentagon this week.
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Chris Grady met Saudi Arabia’s Chief of the General Staff Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili after a meeting between Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Prince Khalid bin Salman in Washington.
Grady is serving in an acting capacity until the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is confirmed following US President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Gen. CQ Brown, who was picked by former President Joe Biden 18 months ago.
Grady and Al-Rawaili spoke about the continued threat posed by Yemen’s Houthis in the Middle East, the latest developments in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza, as well as opportunities for further defense cooperation, the Pentagon said. “Additionally, Adm. Grady reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the security of Saudi Arabia,” Joint Staff Spokesman Jereal Dorsey said in a readout of the meeting.
“The US and Saudi Arabia share a longstanding partnership and are committed to peace and security in the Middle East region,” Dorsey added.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, at the Pentagon on Monday.
The Pentagon said Hegseth accepted Prince Khalid’s invite to visit the Kingdom in the near future.
The two committed to deepening and broadening their relationship while Hegseth confirmed Trump’s commitment to prevent Iran’s development of a nuclear weapon and to work with partners in eliminating Houthi capabilities that threaten regional security and commerce.
