The White House reported on social media that US President Donald Trump met Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Saturday and that the two “discussed Iran’s heightened aggression.”
President @realDonaldTrump and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia just met and discussed Iran’s heightened aggression. Both leaders are committed to maintaining a strong international oil market in the face of Iran’s behavior.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 29, 2019
At “the face of Iran’s behavior” both leaders “are committed to maintain a strong international oil market,” the statement said.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday he appreciated Saudi Arabia's purchase of US military equipment, calling Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a "friend of mine" who had worked to open up the country with economic and social reforms."It's an honour to be with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, a friend of mine - a man who has really done things in the last five years in terms of opening up Saudi Arabia," Trump said ahead of a bilateral meeting with the crown prince, in Osaka, Japan.
"I think especially what you’ve done for women and seeing what’s happening - it’s like a revolution in a very positive way," he added on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit.Prince bin Salman thanked Trump in English during a speech that lasted roughly 30 seconds.Marking that “it’s a long journey,” bin Salman lauded Trump for his achievements and wished “safety for both our countries.”
Trump declined to respond to reporters' questions on whether he would address the death last year of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of bin Salam. The CIA has determined the prince ordered his killing, but Saudi officials have denied any involvement.
In contrast, Amnesty International lauded a series of European decisions limiting arms sales to Saudi Arabia in a Thursday press release.
These include an Italian parliament decision to end weapon sales to Saudi Arabia out of fear the shipments will be used in the fighting in Yemen, and the Swiss Foreign Office denying aerospace firm Pilatus license to operate in Saudi Arabia.
Similar decisions were taken by courts in the UK and Belgium in June.
"We can only hope the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the government of Israel will learn from the countries of Europe," said Hen Bril Agri from Amnesty International Israel.