A telephone conversation took place on Tuesday between Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and US Secretary of Defense James Mattis. At the beginning of the call, the US Secretary of Defense condemned the terrorist incident against a Saudi frigates west of the port of Hodeida and offered condolences on the death of the Saudi sailors. The Deputy Crown Prince thanked him for his noble feelings toward the Kingdom, pointing out the strategic relations between the two countries, which extends for more than eighty years. The Deputy Crown Prince underscored the US Secretary of Defense's experience in the region and looked forward to working together to serve the interests of both countries and the fight against terrorism, militias and piracy and that it is necessary to restore stability to the region's countries and develop relations between the two countries in all fields, based on the directives of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques. The US Secretary of Defense expressed delight and readiness to work in conjunction with the Deputy Crown Prince in all fields. Also during the call, they stressed the implementation of directives by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the US President in the distinctive and historic call between the two leaders by beginning joint work to counter all those activities, and their full rejection of the suspicious activities and interventions by the Iranian regime and its agents in the affairs of countries in the region in order to undermine security and stability in them. They also stressed the development of strategic relations between the two friendly countries to wider areas.
