Pompeo holds talks with Saudi King, Crown Prince in Jeddah

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday hold talks with the Saudi king Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in the Saudi port city of Jeddah after days of mounting tensions following the downing of a US drone last week and after President Donald Trump pulled back from the brink of retaliatory military strikes on Iran. 

Pompeo wrote on Twitter that he had a productive meeting with King Salman and discussed heightened tensions in the region and the need to promote maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz



near the Persian Gulf.

Meanwhile, Iran's naval commander warned that Iranian forces would not hesitate to act again and shoot down more US surveillance drones that violate Iranian airspace.

Tensions have been escalating since Trump last year withdrew the US from a global nuclear deal with Iran and re-imposed economic sanctions on Iran.Iran has decried the US sanctions, which essentially bar Iran from selling its oil internationally, as economic terrorism.