The head of US military operations in the Middle East wrapped up an unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia Tuesday, amid mounting friction over the kingdom’s war on Yemen.
US Central Command chief General Joseph Votel held talks on Monday with top officials including the defense minister, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Votel told reporters travelling with him that he wanted to “hear Saudi concerns.”
“The first thing we are trying to do is listen to what they are telling us. It’s important to maintain confidence in the relationship,” he said.
The official Saudi Press Agency reported that Prince Mohammed and Votel discussed defense cooperation and joint efforts in “combating terrorism”.
An October 8 air strike on a funeral ceremony in Yemen’s capital Sanaa which killed more than 140 people, most of them civilians, sparked a storm of criticism of both Saudi Arabia and its US ally.
In response, the US National Security Council announced that commanders had begun a review “of our already significantly reduced support to the Saudi-led coalition and are prepared to adjust our support so as to better align with US principles, values and interests.”
Source: AFP
