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Trump nominates US Army veteran as new US envoy to Saudi Arabia
Republican Congressman Wesley Hunt served in the region in combat as an Army officer and spent two years as a diplomatic liaison in Saudi Arabia
- PUBLISHED: Tue 15 Sept 2026, 8:16 AM
- By:
- AFP
US President Donald Trump has nominated Republican congressman Wesley Hunt, a US Army veteran, as his new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, a post that had been left vacant amid the war with Iran.
Hunt's nomination was sent Monday to the US Senate, which must vote on his confirmation.
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"Having served in the region both in combat as an Army officer and for two years as a diplomatic liaison in the Kingdom, I understand the strategic importance of the partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia and the profound responsibility of this position," Hunt said in a post on X.
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The nomination comes at a critical time for Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, after fresh attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis opened a new front in the regional conflict.
The group, fighting the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised government in Yemen, last week seized control of Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which has become vital as the wider US-Iran war chokes the Strait of Hormuz.