Regional Developments at the Center of Saudi-US Talks

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman held talks in Riyadh with U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Appropriations Committees, to discuss “regional and international developments and issues of mutual interest.”

Coinciding with the “Yemen Dawn” operation and advances by the Yemeni Armed Forces on multiple fronts, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Saudi Arabia has the right to defend itself after coming under Houthi attacks.

In remarks to journalists, Rubio characterized the current situation in Yemen as a counterattack against Houthi aggression, noting that Yemeni forces are seeking to reclaim territories seized by the Houthis. He added, “These are lands taken by the Houthis as a result of their attack, and what is happening now is a response to that. We expected this to happen, and it has indeed occurred.”

Rubio stressed that neither the Yemeni government nor Saudi Arabia would accept Houthi control of the Bab al-Mandab strait, affirming that Washington has “security agreements and commitments with the Kingdom and will honor them.”