Burns told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that the US felt "blindsided" by Riyadh's rapprochement with Iran and Syria – Washington's global rivals – according to the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Top diplomats from Tehran and Riyadh met in Beijing on Thursday to reestablish contacts between the longtime rivals

Spymaster Bill Burns travelled to Jeddah in mid-April where he attempted to patch up strained ties with the Gulf kingdom.