Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call With Saudi Minister of Defense, His Royal Highness Khalid bin Salman

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke today with the Saudi Minister of Defense, His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Salman, to discuss unprecedented attacks launched from Iranian territory and by Iran's proxies in the region into Israel. The Secretary emphasized that while the United States does not seek escalation, we will continue to defend Israel and U.S. personnel. The Secretary underscored the importance of the enduring U.S. defense partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and reiterated the United States' commitment to working with the Kingdom and other partners to deescalate tensions in the region.