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Saudis seek renewed relations with US under Trump

The Saudis want US President Donald Trump to reconsider policies made during the Obama administration, especially regarding Iran, which they say has not changed its conduct since the nuclear deal.
Saudi Arabia's Deputy Defense Minister Mohammed Al-Ayesh meets U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (R) next to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (L) during a meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, February 15, 2017. REUTERS/Virginia Mayo/Pool - RTSYZVU

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — US Defense Secretary James Mattis considers Iran a troublemaker that is exporting terrorism and whose influence is prolonging the bloody war in Yemen, he told reporters April 19 after meeting in Riyadh with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud and Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman.

“Everywhere you look, if there’s trouble in the region, you find Iran,” he told reporters.

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