US, Saudi defense chiefs discuss developments in Mideast amid Iranian attack on Israel

ISTANBUL

The US secretary of defense and his Saudi counterpart have discussed the latest developments in the Middle East after Saturday's attack by Iran on Israel.

“Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke today with the Saudi Minister of Defense, His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Salman, to discuss unprecedented attacks launched from Iranian territory and by Iran's proxies in the region into Israel,” said a statement by the US Department of Defense on Sunday.

The statement further said that Austin stressed the US aims to avoid escalation and "to continue to defend Israel and US personnel."

“The Secretary underscored the importance of the enduring US defense partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and reiterated the United States' commitment to working with the Kingdom and other partners to deescalate tensions in the region,” the statement concluded.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Israel late on Saturday in response to the April 1 attack on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus.

The attack, which killed seven Iranian military officials, including a senior IRGC commander, drew sharp reactions from the Iranian government officials, who vowed a "decisive response."

Tehran has accused Israel of carrying out the attack and vowed to respond. Tel Aviv has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack but it has for months carried out several strikes against Iranian targets across Syria.