Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and US President Joe Biden stressed on Thursday the importance of strengthening the partnership between Saudi Arabia and the United States.
During a telephone call, Biden expressed to King Salman that his country’s committed to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territories as it faces attacks from groups allied with Iran.
Sources from the White House described the telephone call as good.
Biden and King Salman Salman discussed regional security and other issues and the new US president told the Saudi monarch that “he would work to make the bilateral relationship as strong and transparent as possible,” the White House said.
“The two leaders affirmed the historic nature of the relationship,” it said in a statement.
The Saudi Press Agency said King Salman congratulated Biden on assuming the US presidency and that the pair stressed “the depth” of bilateral ties and the “importance of strengthening the partnership.”
The statement said the leaders reviewed “destabilizing” Iranian regional activities, the US “commitment to defend” Saudi Arabia “against such threats” and an assurance from Biden not to allow Iran “to possess nuclear weapons.”
Biden hailed Saudi Arabia’s support to United Nations efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Yemen.
