Washington Post: Carter vows to help Saudi Arabia contain Iran’s regional ambitions
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi and U.S. leaders agreed Wednesday to curb Iran’s military reach across the Middle East, amid fears that last week’s nuclear deal with Tehran would encourage it to pursue more aggressive regional ambitions.
Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter held talks with Saudi Arabia’s king and its defense minister in the seaside city of Jiddah, where Saudi officials have decamped for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, as he tours Middle Eastern nations anxious about the Iran accord.
As the region’s largest Sunni power, Saudi Arabia has privately issued warnings about the deal, which curbs Shiite Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the easing of economic sanctions, and those warnings carry weight in Washington. At the end of the Iran nuclear talks, the Saudi government threatened “harsh and determined responses” if Tehran used the proceeds of sanctions relief to enhance support for proxy groups in the region, including Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen.
More News On Today's Meeting Between U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter And The King Of Saudi Arabia
Saudis seek US reassurance on Iran deal. -- AFP
Pentagon chief tells Saudi Arabia: Iran threat is shared concern -- Reuters
Saudi leaders seek US reassurance on Iran deal in meeting with Ashton Carter -- The Guardian
Saudi Arabia Welcomes Iran Nuclear Deal, U.S. Defense Chief Says -- NYT