US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth met Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman at the Pentagon on Monday to discuss security measures against Iran.
Asked if the US would help defend Saudi Arabia against an attack by Iran, Mr Hegseth said the two allies were discussing the issue.
“That's a topic we're going to talk about today. Iran is a big concern in the region,” he said alongside Prince Khalid at the Pentagon. “Saudi Arabia has been a great partner and that's something we're going to discuss.”
The US earlier on Monday imposed a new round of sanctions against Iran's oil industry, hitting more than 30 brokers, tanker operators and shipping companies for their role in selling and moving Iranian petroleum, the Treasury Department said.
Saudi Arabia is playing an important role in negotiations between the US and Russia aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. But President Donald Trump's plan to “take over” Gaza has angered Riyadh, which supports a Palestinian state.
Prince Khalid wrote in a post on X after the meeting with Mr Hegseth that the pair discussed ways to bolster defence cooperation as well as regional and international developments.