Trump discusses terrorism with new Saudi crown prince

President Trump spoke with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the White House said, in a call that touched upon terrorism and disputes with Qatar.

“President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to congratulate him on his recent elevation,” the statement reads. “The two leaders discussed the priority of cutting off all support for terrorists and extremists, as well as how to resolve the ongoing dispute with Qatar.”

The statement says the two leaders “committed to close cooperation to advance our shared goals of security, stability, and prosperity across the Middle East and beyond.”

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and economic relations with Qatar over renewed concerns that it is helping to fund terrorist groups and charging that it’s too close to Iran.

U.S. and Qatar relations were also muddled when Trump seemed to celebrate the dispute, taking credit for the decision. 

Trump and the crown prince also touched upon the president’s efforts to secure peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

“They discussed efforts to achieve a lasting peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. And they discussed ways to further deepen economic cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia,” the White House statement noted.

King Salman, the current leader of Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday shuffled the hierarchy of the royal line of succession, placing Mohammad bin Salman, 31, next in line for the throne. As the kingdom’s defense minister, bin Salman has overseen the campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has seen the deaths of thousands of civilians since 2015.