U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has arrived in the Red Sea city of Jeddah for scheduled meetings with Saudi King Salman and other top officials.
Carter’s visit is part of a regional tour aimed at reassuring Washington's allies over a nuclear deal with Iran.
Speaking in Jordan on July 21, Carter said the United States and Israel had a "common commitment to countering Iranian malign influence in the region."
Carter had met on July 20 in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a fierce critic of the Iran nuclear accord, under which sanctions against Iran will be gradually removed in return for Tehran accepting long-term curbs on its nuclear program.
Israel and Sunni-ruled Persian Gulf countries believe the pact will only embolden Iran’s leadership, who are accused of interference in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen.
