Trump nominates Texas Republican Wesley Hunt as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia

US President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Texas Republican congressman Wesley Hunt to serve as ambassador to Saudi Arabia, filling a position that has been vacant since Trump took office.

Hunt is a US Army veteran who served in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. He will not seek re-election to the House of Representatives after an unsuccessful bid for a Senate seat.

If confirmed by the Senate, Hunt will head to Riyadh at a time when the war with Iran has raised fears of a wider conflict and Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen have launched attacks on Saudi Arabia.