The US president has said Riyadh has to be nice to America amid the Iran war
US President Donald Trump jokes with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a meeting in the White House on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. © Win McNamee/Getty Images
US President Donald Trump has boasted that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto leader, is “kissing my ass” and must “be nice” to the US.
Trump made the remarks on Friday at the Saudi sovereign wealth fund’s annual forum in Miami, amid the US-Israeli war against Iran, which sparked retaliation in which Saudi facilities were targeted.
During his address, Trump reminisced about his ties with 90-year-old Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. “I… love the king of Saudi Arabia. What a man he is. When I was there, we bonded,” he said, recalling that the king once grabbed his arm to get up.
”They said that is the only time he has ever grabbed anybody… I said, I think he likes me. And he did like me, and he still likes me, and he is a great man to say hello to. He is a great guy with a great son,” he said.
Pivoting to relations with Mohammed bin Salman, he said the crown prince had told him that the US was “a dead country” just one year ago, but is now “the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
“He did not think this was going to happen. He did not think he would be kissing my ass... He thought he would be just another American president that was a loser, where the country was going downhill. But now he has to be nice to me,” Trump said.
This comes after Trump suggested earlier this week that bin Salman was encouraging US action against Iran. “He is a warrior. He is fighting with us, by the way,” he said.
On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that bin Salman had privately urged Trump to continue the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, framing it as a “historic opportunity” to reshape the Middle East. Citing sources, the NYT said the crown prince argued that Iran’s government can only be eliminated through regime change.
Riyadh denied this, saying it “has always supported a peaceful resolution, to this conflict, even before it began.”