U.S defense Jim Mattis arrived in Saudi Arabia today, his first stop on a tour through the Middle East that will “focus on the fight against Islamic State and articulating President Donald Trump’s policy toward Syria,” Reuters reports.
وزير الدفاع الأمريكي #جيم_ماتيس يصل #الرياض في أول زيارة لل #السعودية منذ توليه مهامه pic.twitter.com/Bp8RiYRlQp
— U.S. Mission to KSA (@USAinKSA) April 18, 2017
Secretary Mattis visited Saudi Arabia first on a trip to the region. After visiting Saudi Arabia, Mattis will visit Egypt, Qatar and Israel.
Speaking to reporters while on route to Riyadh, Mattis called for the crisis in Saudi Arabia’s neighbor, Yemen, to go before a United Nations-brokered negotiating team in order to “politically” resolve the country’s raging civil war, according to the Voice of America.
#secdef has arrived in Riyadh pic.twitter.com/f7XPFbn3Vu
— Carla Babb (@CarlaBabbVOA) April 18, 2017
Secretary Mattis met with Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman in Washington last month, after the prince’s visit with President Trump at the White House.
