US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Monday (June 24th) with Saudi Arabia's rulers as he sought to co-ordinate with allies over soaring tensions with Iran, AFP reported.
On a day trip scheduled after Iran shot down a US drone, Pompeo flew into the Red Sea city of Jeddah and met with King Salman at his palace.
Pompeo later opened talks with crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, and was due to fly later Monday to the UAE.
Both Saudi and Emirati leaders advocate a tough US approach against Iran, whose downing of the unmanned drone prompted President Donald Trump to order a military strike before changing his mind.
Pompeo called Saudi Arabia and the UAE "two great allies in the challenge that Iran presents".
"We will be talking with them about how to make sure that we are all strategically aligned and how we can build out a global coalition," Pompeo said.
He said the US sought a coalition "not only throughout the Gulf states but in Asia and in Europe that understands this challenge and that is prepared to push back against the world's largest state sponsor of terror".
The US pointman on Iran, Brian Hook, on Monday held his own talks in Oman, which has often served as a go-between for Washington and Tehran.
