From the Liveblog of
Friday, July 10, 2026
Rubio meets with Saudi ambassador to US for highest-level talks amid reports of strained ties
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio just wrapped up a meeting at the White House with Saudi Ambassador to the US Princess Reema Bandar al-Saud.
The meeting was the most senior-level engagement between the two countries since reports of a major rupture in the relationship last week.
The US has reportedly considered pulling troops from Saudi Arabia and briefly withheld the transfer of badly needed interceptors from Riyadh over the Gulf kingdom’s refusal to allow the US to use its airspace for a major operation to escort ships out of the Strait of Hormuz. The Saudi refusal forced the US to shelve the operation, dubbed Project Freedom, less than two days after it was announced.
Riyadh’s reticence came amid a lack of trust in the Trump administration’s handling of the Iran war, with the country convinced that continued escalation would only lead Tehran to place the kingdom in its crosshairs.
Neither side has commented publicly on the reported rift.
A State Department spokesperson says Rubio and Princess Reema “reaffirmed the strength of the US-Saudi relationship and the importance of continued close coordination to promote regional security.”
Productive discussions today with Secretary of State Marco Rubio @SecRubio on regional developments and the strong, enduring partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States. We look forward to continuing our close cooperation across shared priorities. ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/egnG1oqARO
— Reema Bandar Al-Saud (@rbalsaud) July 9, 2026
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