At a time of highly escalating tensions in the Middle East, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud held an emergency meeting in Washington with US Vice President J.D. Vance.
The main topic of the talks was the strategic position towards Iran. According to the American television channel CNN (source: edition.cnn.com), Prince Khalid delivered an important message from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which he insisted on delivering personally.
De-escalation despite joint strikes
The diplomatic shuttle took place just hours after the US and Saudi Arabian air forces carried out joint precision strikes in Iraq. According to a statement from the US Central Command - CENTCOM (source: centcom.mil), the operation was aimed at pro-Iranian militias responsible for drone attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure.
According to sources from Axios (source: axios.com), the Saudi minister explained the following key points to J.D. Vance:
- Infrastructure Protection: Attacks on Kingdom's Oil Facilities Cross "Red Line" and demanded a firm response within the framework of the right of self-defense.
- Seeking peace: Despite military action, Riyadh is not seeking further escalation of the conflict with Iran and remains committed to the diplomatic path.
- Differences with Israel: The Saudi position differs from the line of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insists on increasing pressure on Tehran (source: jpost.com).
The conflict with the Houthis
During the talks in Washington, the conflict in Yemen was also touched upon. Prince Khalid assured Vice President Vance that Saudi Arabia is capable of managing the situation with the Houthi rebels on its own and does not need direct American military intervention there at this stage (source: israelnationalnews.com). Negotiations between the Kingdom and Yemeni representatives continue in a parallel diplomatic channel.
The meeting highlights the complex balance that Riyadh is trying to maintain - on the one hand, demonstrating determination to deter pro-Iranian proxy groups, and on the other - making efforts to prevent a full-scale regional war.