Interventions in Syria and Yemen Some have called Mohammed the architect of the
war in Yemen. On 10 January 2016,
The Independent reported that "the BND, the German intelligence agency, portrayed...Saudi defence minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman...as a political gambler who is destabilising the Arab world through
proxy wars in Yemen and Syria." German officials reacted to the BND's memo, saying the published statement "is not the position of the federal government". Coalition airstrikes during the intervention have resulted in thousands of civilians killed or injured, prompting accusations of
war crimes in the intervention. Following a Houthi missile attack against Riyadh in December 2017, which was intercepted by Saudi air defence, airstrikes killed 136 Yemeni civilians and injured 87 others in eleven days. In August 2018, the United Nations reported that all parties in the conflict were responsible for human rights violations and for actions which could be considered war crimes. The war and
blockade of Yemen has cost Saudi Arabia tens of billions of dollars, further aggravated the
humanitarian crisis in the country and destroyed much of Yemen's infrastructure, but failed to dislodge the Shiite Houthi rebels and their allies from the Yemeni capital. The
famine in Yemen is the direct result of the Saudi-led intervention and
blockade of the rebel-held area. In October 2018,
Lise Grande, the United Nations
Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, warned that 12 to 13 million Yemenis were at risk of starvation if the war continued for another three months. Following the Houthi missile attack against Riyadh in December 2017, which was intercepted by Saudi air defence, Mohammed retaliated with a ten-day barrage of indiscriminate airstrikes against civilian areas in Yemen held by Houthi forces, killing dozens of children. (right), 22 March 2018 Following the
assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, the
United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved a resolution to impose sanctions on people blocking humanitarian access in Yemen and suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Senator
Lindsey Graham said the
Saudi Arabia–United States relationship "is more of a burden than an asset". He also said, "The crown prince [of Saudi Arabia] is so toxic, so tainted, so flawed." Andrew Smith, of Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), said that British foreign secretaries
Boris Johnson and
Jeremy Hunt "have played an utterly central and complicit role in arming and supporting the Saudi-led destruction of Yemen". , 19 October 2023 On 16 August 2020, a lawsuit filed by a former top intelligence official, Saad al-Jabri, revealed that in 2015 Mohammed secretly called for Russia to intervene in Syria at a time when
Bashar al-Assad's regime was close to falling apart. The Saudi monarchy had been supporting
anti-Assad rebels, including
Ahrar al-Sham, while Russian and Syrian forces were bombing rebel-held cities in support of Assad, killing tens of thousands of Syrian civilians in the process. Western diplomats say that Mohammed was strongly influenced by Emirati politician Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (who later became ruler of Abu Dhabi). The
UAE was pushing for the idea of helping Russia stabilise Syria and enabling the Assad regime in the country. In 2017 it was reported that Saudi Arabia provided weapons to Syrian opposition groups, fighting against the Assad regime.
Conflict Armament Research (CAR) reported that these weapons frequently ended up in the hands of the
Islamic State members. In 2018, Mohammed reportedly wanted the US military presence to maintain in Syria, despite Donald Trump's declaring the withdrawal of American forces from the war-torn country. In March 2023, Saudi Arabia began talks to bring Syria back into the Arab League, and provided economic support after the
2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake on 6 February. In May 2023, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad attended the
Arab League summit in Jeddah where he was received by Mohammed.
Relations with Israel In December 2017, Mohammed criticised the United States' decision to
recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In 2018, he voiced his support for a
Jewish homeland of Israel, the first time that a senior Saudi royal has expressed such sentiments publicly. In September 2019, Mohammed condemned Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to annex the eastern portion of the
West Bank known as the
Jordan Valley. In 2020, Mohammed met with Netanyahu and Israeli head of the
Mossad Yosi Cohen in Neom. The United States had been pushing for Israel's normalisation for some years, calling (in this context) the
Abraham Accords the "deal of the century", but Riyadh rejected reports of progress. In 2023, there were ongoing U.S. lead negotiations to establish diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Mohammed also said that his country was moving steadily closer to normalising relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords. Due to the
Gaza war, Mohammed called for a global
arms embargo against Israel. Amid the
Gaza war, according to reporting by
The Atlantic, Mohammed told U.S. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken in January 2024 that he was open to Saudi normalisation with Israel, adding, "Do I care personally about the Palestinian issue? I don't, but my people do." Surveys in the early stages of the
Gaza war showed that over 90 percent of Saudis citizens believed that the Arab states should break off their relations with Israel. Following the events in Gaza and
Israel's attacks in Lebanon and Syria on 17 and 18 September 2024, Mohammad declared during the annual address to the
Shura Council on 19 September 2024, that Saudi Arabia would not normalise relations with Israel until Palestine is recognised as a state with
East Jerusalem as its capital. At the Riyadh Summit on 11 November 2024, Mohammed condemned Israel's actions in Gaza as a "collective genocide" and called on Israel to respect Iran's sovereignty. According to
Bernard Haykel of
Princeton University, Al Saud admires Israel's economic and technological success, and seeks mutual recognition with a focus on high-tech coordination.
Relations with Russia Under Mohammed's leadership, Saudi Arabia strengthened its
relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin. In 2016, Mohammed signed an agreement to cooperate with Russia in global oil markets. Russia has also abstained from criticising
Saudi-led intervention in Yemen and has supported the United Nations arms embargo against the
Houthis in the
Security Council. In 2021, Mohammed signed a military cooperation agreement with Russia. Amidst Western isolation following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Mohammed strengthened his personal relationship with Vladimir Putin and expanded
Saudi-Russia relations. In September 2022, five British and two American POWs captured in Ukraine were released by Russia through Saudi mediation. Russia's new foreign policy concept unveiled in 2023 has given priority to enhancing friendly relations with Saudi Arabia. In December 2023, Putin visited Saudi Arabia and met with Mohammed. Mohammed hosted Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy in
Riyadh on 10 March 2025, ahead of U.S.-Ukraine talks. Saudi Arabia has positioned itself as a mediator in global conflicts, including Ukraine and earlier U.S.-Russia negotiations,.
Relations with Iran Following
Masoud Pezeshkian's victory in the
2024 Iranian presidential election, King Salman and Mohammed sent congratulatory messages. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Mohammed emphasized his "keenness on developing and deepening relations" and expressed a desire to serve the "mutual interests" of both countries. Pezeshkian and Mohammed significantly strengthened diplomatic ties, reaching what MBS described as a "historic turning point." In late January 2026, Pezeshkian and Mohammed held a critical phone call to discuss regional stability following the
arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the region. MBS emphasized that Saudi Arabia would not allow its territory or airspace to be used for military actions against Iran. According to
The Washington Post, Mohammed conducted multiple phone calls with U.S. President Trump urging him to attack Iran, stating that "Iran would become stronger and more dangerous if Washington did not strike immediately".
The Washington Post reported that Trump's decision to
attack Iran on 28 February 2026 came after the
Saudi Arabian and
Israeli governments lobbied him repeatedly to make the move. Saudi Arabia has officially denied reports that Mohammed privately urged Trump to launch military strikes against Iran. On 15 March 2026,
The New York Times reported that Mohammed had urged Trump to "keep hitting the Iranians hard."
Relations with Turkey In March 2018, Mohammed referred to Turkey as part of a "triangle of evil" alongside Iran and the
Muslim Brotherhood. However, Mohammed later led a reconciliation with Turkey in 2022, leading to improved relations between the countries. In July 2023, the Crown Prince and Turkish president
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed to a major deal for Saudi Arabia to purchase Turkish
Baykar Bayraktar Akıncı drones.
Relations with the United States Relations with the first Trump administration In August 2016,
Donald Trump Jr., the son of US presidential candidate Donald Trump, had a meeting with an envoy representing Mohammed bin Salman and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed. The envoy offered help to the Trump campaign. The meeting included Joel Zamel, an Israeli social media expert, Lebanese-American businessman
George Nader, and
Blackwater founder
Erik Prince. Kushner also inquired as to how the US could support Mohammed in the succession process. After Mohammed became crown prince, Trump reportedly said, "We've put our man on top". Trump initially supported the
Saudi-led blockade of Qatar, despite opposition from
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and
Secretary of Defense James Mattis, though he later changed his position. Mohammed later reportedly claimed Kushner had provided intelligence assistance on domestic rivals to Mohammed during the
2017–19 Saudi Arabian purge, which Trump had personally expressed support for. The Trump administration also firmly supported Mohammed during global backlash following the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi.
Relations with the Biden administration +3 summit in
Jeddah, 16 July 2022 In 2019, during the Trump administration, Joe Biden criticised Mohammed, describing him as a pariah due to the 2018 killing of
Jamal Khashoggi. In July 2021, six months into the Biden presidency, Saudi deputy defence minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud (Mohammed's brother) visited the United States. It was the first meeting between senior US and Saudi officials after Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in 2018. In September 2021, Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Mohammed. In the meeting, Mohammed reportedly ended up shouting at Sullivan after he raised the killing of Khashoggi. The
Wall Street Journal wrote in April 2022 that the US-Saudi relationship was at "its lowest point in decades". in Jeddah, 7 June 2023 Relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia became weak after
OPEC+ announced a cut in oil production by two million barrels a day. The US government was angered by the move, accusing Saudi Arabia of siding with Russia in its war against Ukraine. The Saudi government denied these claims, claiming that the move was not politically motivated but to bring stability in global oil markets. The Saudi government also declined a US request to postpone an OPEC decision until after the
2022 United States elections, leading Biden to threaten "consequences" against Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's relations with the
Biden administration were strained, especially after Mohammed's refusal to
increase oil production in the wake of the
Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, relations warmed with
Biden's official visit to Saudi Arabia,
The Pentagon's approval of a $500m arms deal, a
bipartisan group visit of US senators to Saudi Arabia, and relaxing restrictions on offensive weapons sales.
Relations with the second Trump administration in Riyadh, 13 May 2025 ,
Marco Rubio and
Pete Hegseth at the White House, 18 November 2025 From 13 to 16 May 2025, Donald Trump undertook his
first major international trip of his
second term, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Trump and Mohammed signed a "strategic economic partnership" agreement. The visit elevated Mohammed's standing within the Saudi government as King Salman, who did not appear during the Saudi visit, has largely receded from public view. In contrast to the
2017 Riyadh summit, Mohammed greeted Trump at
King Khalid International Airport, rather than Salman.
Relations with Qatar On 5 June 2017, Saudi Arabia under Mohammed spearheaded a diplomatic crisis with Qatar together with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, with the countries severing
diplomatic relations with Qatar and effectively imposing a blockade on the country. The countries cited
Qatar's alleged support for terrorism as the main reason for the actions, also citing
Al Jazeera and
Qatar's relations with Iran. Reuters reported that Mohammed "said the dispute with Qatar could be long-lasting, comparing it to the
US embargo against Cuba imposed 60 years before, but played down its impact, dismissing the Gulf emirate as "smaller than a Cairo street". On 4 January 2021, Qatar and Saudi Arabia agreed to a resolution of the crisis brokered by Kuwait and the United States, which stated that Saudi Arabia will reopen its border with Qatar and begin the process for reconciliation. An agreement and final communiqué signed on 5 January 2021 following a GCC summit at
Al-'Ula marks the resolution of the crisis.
Resignation of Saad Hariri In November 2017, Mohammed
forced Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri to resign when he visited Saudi Arabia. Mohammed believed that
Hariri was in the pocket of Iran-backed
Hezbollah, which is a major political force in Lebanon. Hariri eventually was released, went back to Lebanon and annulled his resignation. In response to Canada's criticism, Saudi Arabia expelled Canada's ambassador and froze trade with Canada. The
Toronto Star reported that the consensus among analysts indicated that the actions taken by Mohammed were a "warning to the world — and to Saudi human rights activists — that his Saudi Arabia is not to be trifled with". The diplomatic ties were restored on 24 May 2023.
Relations with China Relations between China and Saudi Arabia have deepened under the leadership of Mohammed; since he became crown prince in 2017, trade between the two countries have increased from $51.5 billion to $87.5 billion in 2021. In February 2019, Mohammed defended
China's policies in Xinjiang, where more than 1 million
Uyghurs were put into
internment camps, saying "China has the right to carry out anti-terrorism and de-extremisation work for its national security.".
Miqdaad Versi, spokesperson for the
Muslim Council of Britain, called Mohammed's remarks "disgusting" and a defence of "the use of concentration camps against Uighur Muslims". China has been Saudi Arabia's largest economic partner since 2014 and Saudi Arabia is the biggest source of China's oil imports. In 2019, Chinese officials announced plans to incorporate
Saudi Vision 2030 into the
Belt and Road Initiative, and expand economic, cultural, strategic and military co-operation. Since 2021, China has been assisting in Saudi Arabia's
ballistic missile programme by transferring technology and making joint ventures for missile production. Mohammed hosted Chinese president
Xi Jinping in Riyadh for talks on 7–10 December 2022. During the visit, Xi met with numerous Arab leaders, including members of the
Gulf Cooperation Council. The deal also expanded military and security ties, with both sides agreeing for joint production of
UAV systems in Saudi Arabia. Describing the GCC summit as a "milestone event" in the history of Sino-Arab friendship, Xi urged the Gulf countries to start making oil transaction through
Renminbi, a move widely seen as China's efforts to establish Renminbi as a
world currency. During the 2022
Airshow China held in
Zhuhai, Saudi Arabia and China concluded arms deal worth $4 billion. Under the contract, Saudi Arabia purchased hundreds of Chinese drones, ballistic missiles,
Silent Hunter DEWs in addition to
technology transfer that enables indigenous manufacturing of various armaments. On 10 March 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore diplomatic ties cut in 2016 after a deal brokered between the two countries by China following secret talks in Beijing.
Intimidation of Saad al-Jabri On 9 July 2020, four United States senators urged President Trump to secure the freedom of Saad al-Jabri's children Omar and Sarah, calling it a "moral obligation" to support a man who aided the
US intelligence for years and had close ties with key members of the
Saudi royal family. The Saudi government detained Omar and Sarah in March 2020 and, to date, their whereabouts remain unknown. Saudi Arabia had issued an
extradition request and
Interpol notices to bring back Saad al-Jabri, who was the US
anti-terrorism contact in the Middle East and was staying in Canada since 2018. The Interpol notice against al-Jabri was removed, citing that he was a political opponent of Mohammed. In August 2020, al-Jabri filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, DC, alleging that Mohammed dispatched a "Tiger Squad" to Canada during October 2018 to assassinate al-Jabri, who was the closest adviser to Mohammed's chief rival, Muhammad bin Nayef. The squad was identified and returned by Canadian authorities. Following the lawsuit, the
US District Court for the District of Columbia issued the summons against Mohammed bin Salman, along with 11 other people. The summons stated that a judgement would be taken by default against the concerned parties if they fail to respond. Documents filed to the court revealed that Mohammed was served the lawsuit on 22 September 2020 at 4:05 p.m. ET via WhatsApp, and twenty minutes later the message was marked as "read".
Hack of Jeff Bezos's phone In March 2019,
Gavin de Becker, a security specialist working for
Jeff Bezos, accused Saudi Arabia of hacking Bezos's phone. Bezos was the owner of
The Washington Post, the leader of the company
Amazon, and the world's richest man at the time. The report points to circumstantial evidence: first, a November 2018 message from Mohammed to Bezos includes an image resembling the woman Bezos was having an affair with, despite the affair not being public knowledge at the time; second, a February 2019 text from Mohammed to Bezos urges Bezos not to believe everything, after Bezos was briefed on the phone regarding an Internet campaign against him conducted by Saudis. They declared that the alleged hacking was relevant to the issue of whether Mohammed was involved in the killing of
Jamal Khashoggi, who worked for
The Washington Post.
Environmentalism Under Mohammed's leadership, Saudi Arabia has lobbied to weaken global carbon emissions-reduction agreements. Mohammed has made commitments about Saudi Arabia reaching
net zero emissions but they are based primarily on unproven carbon capture and storage technologies. == Controversies ==