Saudi Defense Minister Meets Vance in Washington Day After Joint Strikes on Iran-Linked Sites in Iraq

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Kurdistan 24) - Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met US Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Wednesday less than 24 hours after the United States and Saudi Arabia conducted joint precision strikes on Iran-linked logistics and weapons sites across eastern Iraq, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The two officials discussed the strikes and Saudi Arabia's response to repeated attacks on its energy infrastructure, according to one source cited by CNN. Khalid also delivered a personal message from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Vance, conveying the kingdom's broader assessment of the war and its strategic position within the conflict.

Saudi Arabia told US officials during the meeting that it assessed Iran would continue seeking leverage through escalation, using Iran-aligned militias in Iraq and Yemen's Houthi movement as instruments of pressure against both American forces and Saudi civilian infrastructure, according to the sources. Riyadh's participation in Tuesday's joint strikes was intended to send a clear signal that attacks on Saudi civilian infrastructure would not go unanswered, while the kingdom simultaneously signaled its continued preference for de-escalation over prolonged military confrontation, the sources said.

The meeting between Khalid and Vance reflects the deepening operational and strategic coordination between Washington and Riyadh that Tuesday's joint strikes made explicit on the battlefield. Saudi Arabia's direct military participation alongside American forces in strikes on Iraqi territory marked one of the most significant expressions of that partnership since the conflict began on Feb. 28, 2026, placing Riyadh in open confrontation with Iran-aligned factions that have repeatedly targeted the kingdom's oil export infrastructure, including the Gulf terminals of Ras Tanura and Juaymah, whose closure since March 9, 2026, forced Saudi Arabia to reroute a substantial portion of its exports through the East-West pipeline to the Red Sea terminal of Yanbu.

Riyadh's assessment that Iran will continue using proxy forces to seek leverage is consistent with the pattern CENTCOM has documented throughout the conflict. The command confirmed on Tuesday that from February through April 2026 alone, there were more than 600 attempted attacks on US citizens and facilities by Iran-aligned terrorist militias in Iraq, and that Tuesday's operation responded to more than 30 IRGC-directed drone attacks in the preceding 72 hours targeting both US forces and Saudi energy infrastructure.

The Saudi position outlined to Vance, retaliating firmly against infrastructure attacks while continuing to seek de-escalation, mirrors the dual-track posture Washington itself has maintained throughout the conflict, combining sustained military pressure with repeated public statements of openness to diplomatic resolution. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated at the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Manila last Wednesday that Washington remains open to negotiations with Iran but accused Tehran of lacking seriousness at the table, a frustration Riyadh appears to share based on its assessment that Iran will continue escalating through proxies regardless of diplomatic openings.

The Wednesday meeting in Washington also comes as the US Senate advanced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 by an 86-12 bipartisan vote on Tuesday night, a bill that extends and tightens sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran alongside its sweeping Russia sanctions provisions, adding a legislative dimension to the military and diplomatic pressure the US and its Gulf allies are simultaneously applying to Tehran.