US ready to help protect Saudi security, Trump tells Saudi Crown Prince

DUBAI (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump told Saudi Arabia’s crown prince that Washington was ready to cooperate with the kingdom to protect its security, following drone attacks on Saudi oil plants on Saturday, state news agency SPA reported. Trump also told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a call that assaults on Saudi oil facilities had a negative impact on the US and global economies, SPA said in an Arabic-language statement. The statement followed drone attacks launched by Yemeni rebels that sparked fires at two Saudi Aramco oil facilities Saturday, reportedly disrupting production in a new escalation that follows a spike in regional tensions with Iran. Huge palls of smoke rose into the sky after the pre-dawn attacks on Abqaiq and Khurais, two key Aramco facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia as the state-owned giant prepares for a much-anticipated stock listing.