Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook provided the following readout:
Today, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter met with King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, and Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The leaders affirmed the longtime security partnership between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, discussing a range of issues pertaining to both nations' mutual security interests, including checking Iranian destabilizing activities in the region and countering violent extremism from groups like ISIL. Building on commitments made at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit hosted by President Obama at Camp David this past May, Secretary Carter spoke to a number of areas where the United States and Saudi Arabia can deepen their security cooperation for the benefit of both countries, such as enhancing training for special operations and counterterrorism forces, integrating air and missile defense systems, bolstering cyber defenses, and strengthening maritime security.