US reaffirms help to defend Saudi's territorial integrity- announcement by

Washington: The Pentagon has announced that the United States will provide all necessary assistance to protect Saudi Arabia from external threats. The announcement was made after the meeting between Saudi Deputy Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and the US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin. Relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia have been strained over the past year. Therefore, according to the western media, the visit of the Deputy Defence Minister of Saudi to the United States has become significant.

Saudi’s Deputy Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman’s visit to the United States has just concluded. During his visit, he met US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He discussed the issues related to the threat posed by Iran, the ceasefire in Yemen and regional security.

The US Secretary of Defence said the United States is committed to a strong partnership with Saudi Arabia. Austin also welcomed the Saudi ceasefire initiative with the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Pentagon said that the United States remains committed to providing the necessary assistance to Saudi Arabia to defend itself from external threats.

US media is pointing out that Defence Secretary Austin and the Pentagon did not specifically mention the threat posed by Iran to Saudi Arabia. Previously, the US had explicitly underlined the threat of Iran to the security of Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies. The US had assured to protect the security interest of allies in the middle east from Iran.

However, the announcement made now by Defence Secretary Austin and the Pentagon signals a major shift in the role of the Biden administration, which is struggling to reach a nuclear deal with Iran. This was pointed out by some news channels in the United States. Senior members of the Saudi royal family have criticized US President Biden for disappointing the Saudis while expressing concern about the strained relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia during Biden’s tenure.

US lawmakers and military analysts are urging the Biden administration not to lose Saudi Arabia and other allies in the Middle East to pursue the nuclear deal with Iran. But the Biden administration is unwilling to pay any heed. Despite this, it is claimed that President Biden is expected to visit the Middle East in June to gain back the trust of Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. The US President is likely to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the visit, according to US media reports.