Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on the phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday and “discussed the strength of the U.S.-Saudi partnership,” according to a State Department readout of the call.
Rubio “conveyed that he looked forward to advancing shared interests in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and beyond,” State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
Earlier Wednesday, CNN reported President Donald Trump also spoke with MBS, according to people familiar with the call, making it Trump’s first known conversation with a foreign leader since taking office.
Rubio also spoke with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to State Department readouts.
CNN reported earlier that Rubio also held calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly.
