Trump and Mohammed bin Salman Discuss Tensions with Iran and War in Yemen

On Tuesday, March 20, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, discussed tensions with Iran and the Saudi-led military coalition involved in the war in Yemen in Washington. This is Mohammed bin Salman's first visit to Washington since he was appointed Crown Prince last year. Reuters reports that although Mohammed bin Salman's efforts to reduce Saudi Arabia's economic dependence on oil and to curb chronic economic corruption in the country have been welcomed by the West, the severity and secrecy of the crackdowns on the economic corruption of some capitalists have raised concerns. Trump and the Crown Prince emphasized strengthening relations between Washington and Riyadh, which had been strained during Barack Obama's presidency, partly due to the nuclear agreement between the U.S. and global powers with Iran. According to the report, Trump, sitting next to Mohammed bin Salman in the White House, stated, 'We have developed a good friendship in a short time,' and noted some statistics regarding the sale of American weapons to Saudi Arabia, saying this development has created job growth in the United States. He told reporters, 'Our relationship has probably never been better than it is now, and I think it will get even better. There have been huge investments in our country, which means jobs for our workers.' Both Trump and Mohammed bin Salman are seeking to limit Iran's influence in the Middle East. The Saudi Foreign Minister described the Iran nuclear agreement as a 'flawed agreement' on Monday, and Trump emphasized that the U.S. will withdraw from the agreement unless changes are made. Trump said, 'We will see what happens. Iran does not deal properly with some countries in the world or basically with the whole world. Many bad things are happening in Iran. The issue of the nuclear agreement will be clarified by next month, and we will see what happens.' Mohammed bin Salman has taken a hard stance against Iran, stating that if Tehran acquires nuclear weapons, Riyadh must also obtain nuclear weapons. He has also referred to Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, as 'Hitler.'