FILE PHOTO: Saudi Arabia's Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman arrives at a meeting at the Pentagon in Washington, U.S., August 29, 2019. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan

CAIRO - (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, said in a tweet on Tuesday he met U.S. Secretary of defense Mark Esper and discussed mutual challenges faced by both countries.

He also emphasized the importance of both countries’ ongoing military cooperation as it serves regional and international security.

The meeting comes after the killing of a top Iranian military commander, Qassem Soleimani, in a U.S. drone strike on Friday at Baghdad airport that has sparked a major escalation of regional tensions.