President Trump spoke Wednesday with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to congratulate the 31-year-old on his recent elevation as next in line to the throne.
The White House said Mr. Trump and the Crown Prince “committed to close cooperation to advance our shared goals of security, stability, and prosperity across the Middle East and beyond.”
“The two leaders discussed the priority of cutting off all support for terrorists and extremists, as well as how to resolve the ongoing dispute with Qatar,” the White House said. “They discussed efforts to achieve a lasting peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”
In a surprise move, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman removed his nephew as crown prince in favor of his son, Mohammed bin Salman, who was already serving as the country’s defense minister. He has overseen the Saudi-led military campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran.
The move also came as Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, is meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to encourage peace talks.
Saudi Arabia and other regional neighbors are engaged in a diplomatic feud with Qatar, ostensibly over Qatar’s support of terrorism.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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