President Donald Trump of the United States have revealed that Saudi Arabia and it's king would not last "for two weeks" without US support.
He made this known at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday.
"We protect Saudi Arabia. Would you say they're rich. And I love the King, King Salman. But I said 'King - we're protecting you - you might not be there for two weeks without us - you have to pay for your military,'" the president said to cheers at the rally.
Trump did not say when he made those remarks to the Saudi monarch, but they come amid increasing oil prices in the US.
Saudi Arabia is the world's top oil exporter and the de facto leader of the oil producing bloc, OPEC, which has been criticised by Trump for high oil prices.
Meanwhile, President Trump called King Salman on Saturday to discuss efforts to maintain supplies to ensure oil market stability and global economic growth, according to Saudi state news agency SPA.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman traveled to Kuwait last weekend to speak with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, reportedly about increasing oil production.
No further developments have surfaced from the Kuwait meeting but media reports said the Gulf crisis was also on the agenda of the talks.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, Trump said OPEC members were "as usual ripping off the rest of the world".
Oil prices are on the rise. A barrel of oil currently costs about $75, continuing a steady increase over the past year. The price per barrel was around $50 in October 2017.