The King of Saudi Arabia praised President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE for conducting airstrikes on the Syrian regime, the White House said Saturday.

“The King reaffirmed strong Saudi support for the United States’ military strike against the Sayrat Airfield in Syria and thanked the President for his courageous action, which both agreed was a necessary response to the horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians,” the White House said.

Trump and King Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud spoke by phone Friday, the White House said.

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Trump ordered the airstrikes Thursday evening following a chemical weapons attack in northwestern Syria’s Idlib province.

The U.S. has blamed the chemical weapons attack on Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011.

Saudi Arabia has provided arms to opposition groups fighting the Assad regime.