US Defence Secretary reaches Saudi to reassure on Iran

Jeddah

US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as part of a regional tour aimed at reassuring Washington's allies over a nuclear deal with Iran.

Carter is to hold talks with King Salman in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, where the kingdom's rulers base themselves during the hot summer months.

He was then to meet for about one hour with Salman's son Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is defence minister and second-in-line to the throne.

Carter, who flew in from Jordan, is to return to Amman mid-afternoon.

On Tuesday Carter visited Israel for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has predicted the Iran nuclear agreement will lead to a regional nuclear arms race. 

Netanyahu also fears the deal will help fund Iranian "aggression".

Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia, a regional rival of Shiite Iran, worries Tehran could still be able to develop an atomic bomb despite the limitations on its nuclear programme agreed to this month under the deal with Washington and five other major powers.

Like Israel, Riyadh and its Gulf neighbours believe the pact will only embolden Tehran's leaders, whom they accuse of "interference" in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

In an effort to calm these worries, Carter proposes to intensify military cooperation with Washington's traditional allies in the Middle East.