Top US, Saudi military generals discuss situation in Syria and Lebanon

The top US and Saudi military generals discussed security and stability concerns in the Middle East, specifically the situation in Syria and Lebanon, according to a Pentagon readout of the call.

The Pentagon said that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. CQ Brown, and Chief of General Staff, Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili, spoke about the importance of peacefully de-escalating tensions in the region.

“The two generals spoke about ways to increase the strength of the bilateral relationship between the US and Saudi Arabian militaries, including capacity building, military training, and exercises,” Joint Staff Spokesman Jereal Dorsey said. “More broadly, they expressed a shared commitment to establish a strong coalition of regional partners that presents a powerful front to deter aggression and uphold regional stability.”

Dorsey said the US and Saudi Arabia share a longstanding partnership and are committed to peace and security in the Middle East.

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has repeatedly reaffirmed to Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Washington’s commitment to the Kingdom’s defense and thanked him for Riyadh’s work to promote calm in the Middle East.