Saudi defense minister, Pentagon chief discuss de-escalation efforts in region

Saudi Arabia’s defense minister and the Pentagon chief held a call Monday to discuss efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East as the US and Iran-backed proxies engage in tit-for-tat strikes across the region.

“In a call with @SecDef, we reviewed our strategic Saudi-US relations and ways to bolster our defense cooperation. We also discussed recent regional and international developments, as well as the need to de-escalate tensions in the region to achieve security and stability,” Prince Khalid bin Salman said in a post on X.

The Monday calls comes after the top US military general for the Middle East met with Saudi Arabia’s Chief of General Staff, Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili, last week to discuss deepening military and defense ties.

United States Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Gen. Erik Kurilla visited the Kingdom, where they discussed bilateral relations as well as the prospects for cooperation in various fields, a statement from the Saudi Defense Ministry said.

Separately, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made another trip to Riyadh this week. On Monday, Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the Gaza war. “The Secretary underscored the importance of addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza and preventing further spread of the conflict,” the State Department said.