Trump takes dig at Saudi Crown Prince, says he was ‘kissing my a**’
Washington: US President Donald Trump has claimed that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was effectively “kissing my a**”, while speaking about the current state of ties between Washington and Riyadh.
Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Florida, Trump described what he said was a conversation with the Saudi leader. He said the crown prince had not expected the United States to make a strong comeback under his leadership.
“He didn’t think this was going to happen... he didn’t think he’d be kissing my a**... he thought it’d be just another American president that was a loser... but now he has to be nice to me,” Trump said, as reported by The Wire.
Despite the remark, Trump also praised Mohammed bin Salman, calling him “a fantastic man” and “a warrior”. He added that Saudi Arabia could be proud of his leadership.
The comments come at a time when the United States and Israel are involved in a military campaign against Iran, a conflict that has reshaped regional equations.
According to a report by The New York Times, the Saudi crown prince has been in touch with Trump through private conversations. The report said he urged the US to continue the war, calling it a “historic opportunity” to weaken Iran’s government.
The report, citing people familiar with the discussions, said the Saudi leadership has pushed for stronger action, including possible strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure.
However, Saudi Arabia has publicly denied seeking a prolonged war. It has maintained that it supports a peaceful resolution while focusing on defending itself from Iranian attacks.
The conflict began on February 28 after the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran. In response, Iran carried out attacks on Israel and also targeted US bases in the Gulf region.
The situation has led to instability across the Middle East and has affected global oil markets.
Even as Trump criticised the Saudi crown prince in his speech, he also underlined support from Gulf countries. He said Saudi Arabia, along with Qatar and the UAE, stood firmly with the US during the conflict, even more than NATO allies.
While the US has projected strong backing from Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia appears to be balancing its approach, engaging privately on strategy while publicly calling for de-escalation.
At the same time, concerns remain over the risks of a prolonged war. Analysts and officials have warned that continued conflict could expose Saudi Arabia to Iranian retaliation, especially targeting oil infrastructure, and could lead to economic instability.
Trump has also been pushing for stronger economic and diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel under the Abraham Accords, but the ongoing war has added new uncertainty to these efforts.
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Delhi Police reunites 194 missing persons with their families
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has traced and reunited 194 missing persons with their families in April, an official said on Friday.
This includes 45 missing or kidnapped children and 149 adults rescued between April 1 and April 30 this year, he said.
Under the under 'Operation Milap', investigators relied on a combination of local intelligence and technical surveillance, including scanning CCTV footage and circulating photographs of the missing individuals at public places such as bus stands, railway stations, and auto and e-rickshaw stands.
To track movements, enquiries were conducted with drivers, conductors, vendors and other local sources, while records of nearby police stations and hospitals were checked. Informers were also roped in to gather leads, the police said.
Among police stations, Kapashera reported one of the highest rescues tracing eight minor children and 21 adults, while Delhi Cantonment police traced 30 people, including one minor.
The police said that since the beginning of the year, a total of 542 missing persons, comprising 143 children and 399 adults, have been traced and reunited with their families in the district till April 30.
