Jeddah, 16 July 2022 (Anadolu News)

The United States and Saudi Arabia on Saturday called for deterring Iran's interference in the region and preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

"President Biden strongly affirmed the United States’ continued commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial defense," said a joint statement following Biden's meeting with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The statement affirmed US commitment to allowing Riyadh "to obtain necessary capabilities to defend its people and territory against external threats." According to the statement, both countries stressed "the importance of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon."

At several occasions, Iran vehemently denied the accusations of interference in the affairs of the region's countries.

US President Joe Biden said Saturday that the US will not leave any vacuum in the Middle East region to Russia, China, or Iran. “We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia, or Iran,” Biden said at an Arab-American summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah. “We will seek to build on this moment with active, principled, American leadership,” he added.

The summit brought together Biden with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council members, as well as Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq.

US President Joe Biden pledged on Saturday to provide Jordan with $1.45 billion in assistance per year. The pledge was made in a joint statement issued following a meeting between Biden and Jordanian King Abdullah II on the sideline of a US-Arab summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

The statement said Biden announced his intention to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for assistance for Jordan with a value of $1.45 billion per year beginning in 2023 and ending in 2029.

The trip was seen as a US attempt to assert leadership in the Middle East against China and Russia amid the Russian war in Ukraine. Addressing the summit, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the meeting was held "at a time when the world is witnessing great challenges."

He also called on regional rival Iran to be “cooperative and not to interfere in regional affairs."

Before the start of the summit, Biden held separate meetings with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi and President of the United Arab Emirates President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.

In an interview with CNBC on Saturday, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al-Jubeir, said Riyadh will continue to bolster its partnerships with both Washington and Beijing.

US President Joe Biden said his country’s peacekeepers will leave the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir later this year. Biden made the statement during his meeting on Friday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.

In April 2016, Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed a border demarcation agreement by which sovereignty over the two islands were transferred to Saudi Arabia.

Biden is scheduled to conclude a 4-day trip to the Middle East region later Saturday that included Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the West Bank. The tour is seen as a US attempt to assert leadership in the region against Russia and China.