The US reassured Saudi Arabia of its commitment to strong military ties with the Kingdom, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

The Pentagon’s top policy chief made the comments during a call with Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Abdulrahman bin Ayyaf al-Muqrin.

“Under Secretary Baker congratulated her counterpart on his recent appointment and reaffirmed the US commitment to a strong defense partnership with Saudi Arabia,” Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Martin Meiners said in a statement.

The two officials also underscored the endurance and importance of the US-Saudi strategic partnership, which spans more than 80 years, according to Lt. Col. Meiners.

Earlier this year, the US and Saudi Arabia completed their first joint counter-drone exercise at a new military testing center in Riyadh.

And in late May, the two militaries held a joint drill in Saudi Arabia. Eagle Resolve 23 was designed to strengthen collective US-Saudi and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) partner nations’ readiness as well as improve the interoperability of the forces, contributing to regional stability.

For the first time, that multi-domain exercise focused primarily on integrated air and missile defense and maritime interdiction, the Pentagon said.

On Tuesday, the Saudi Navy was alongside newly deployed US battleships in the Red Sea.

Over 3,000 American troops and guided missile destroyers arrived in the Middle East on Sunday in response to Iranian and Russian threats in recent months, in what was part of a pre-announced deployment.