Saudi Minister Tells Vance: De-escalate With Iran
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- Prince Khalid bin Salman met Vice President Vance at the White House on Wednesday and said Saudi Arabia still favors de-escalation with Iran despite the joint U.S.-Saudi strike on pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.
- Saudi Arabia's de-escalation stance comes even as it participated in military action against pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, according to a source familiar with the meeting who spoke to Axios.
Why it matters: Saudi Arabia joined strikes on pro-Iranian militias in Iraq yet told Vice President Vance it still favors de-escalation with Iran. The gap between Saudi military cooperation and its stated restraint reveals a divergence in how far each side wants to push against Tehran, complicating Washington's calculus on coalition pressure.
