RIYADH: Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth discussed the two countries’ strategic defense partnership and efforts to strengthen regional security during a phone call on Thursday.
“In a call with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, we reviewed the Saudi-US strategic defense partnership and discussed coordinating our efforts to strengthen regional security and stability,” Prince Khalid wrote on X.
“We also explored several regional and international topics of mutual interest,” he added.
In a separate call on Thursday, Prince Khalid discussed bilateral defense cooperation and regional security challenges with French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin.
The two ministers discussed efforts to address regional challenges “in a manner that preserves international peace and security,” as well as other issues of mutual interest, Prince Khalid said on X.
The call comes amid heightened regional tensions and a series of attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis targeting the Kingdom.
Houthis in Yemen carried out a drone attack on the Taiba power distribution station in Madinah on Tuesday morning, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said.
Saudi air defenses on Saturday also intercepted two drones launched toward Riyadh and two ballistic missiles fired toward Khamis Mushayt. Two days earlier, the coalition said it had intercepted six ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis toward Yanbu and Taif.
Saudi Arabia and the US signed a Strategic Defense Agreement during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington in November 2025.
The agreement, signed by the crown prince and US President Donald Trump, aims to strengthen the countries’ more than 80-year defense partnership and bolster regional deterrence, according to the White House.
The two countries had earlier signed a nearly $142 billion defense sales package during Trump’s visit to Riyadh in May 2025, covering air and missile defense, maritime and coastal security, border security, military modernization and communications systems.
