Trump Tells King Salman He Supports More Saudi Arms Purchases
- Call comes hours after Saudis shot down Yemeni rebel missile
- Trump also thanks king for $15 billion anti-missile purchase
A US soldier aims a missile launcher during a military exercise.
Photographer: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images AsiaPacThis article is for subscribers only.
President Donald Trump told Saudi King Salman he would support the purchase of American military equipment to keep Saudi Arabia safe in a phone call Saturday, hours after the Saudi military said it intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Yemeni rebels targeting an airport in Riyadh.
Trump and Salman discussed the “continuing threat of Iranian-backed Houthi militias in Yemen” and the intercepted missile attack, according to a call readout provided by the White House. Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition of countries against the militias, which overthrew Yemen’s government in 2015.