Austin hosts Jordan’s King Abdullah at Pentagon for talks

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin welcomed Jordan’s King Abdullah II to the Pentagon for bilateral talks Thursday.

Following an honor cordon outside the Pentagon the two leaders and their delegations met for talks on a range of issues inside.

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“Our partnership with Jordan is more important than ever,” Austin said.

“And that’s because of our long standing friendship, as well as the threats that we face today, including Iran’s support for terrorism, the rise of drug smuggling in the Levant, and the continued threat of violent extremist organizations such as ISIS,” he said.

Austin also brought up Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the recent escalation of violence in East Jerusalem as important topics to discuss.

King Abdullah pointed to two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine as factors adding to the challenges in the Middle East and beyond.

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