The United States intends to uphold its bilateral security commitments with Saudi Arabia amid renewed military confrontations involving Houthi forces in Yemen, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday, according to Anadolu.
“The United States has a defense and security agreement with Saudi Arabia, and we intend to live by it,” Rubio told reporters ahead of a European tour including Iceland, Greece and Portugal, declining to elaborate on operational specifics.

Rubio said that, in the face of continuous Houthi attacks, Riyadh has “a right to defend themselves,” adding that allied Yemeni forces are trying to recover areas lost in previous clashes.

Bab al-Mandab
Addressing control around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Rubio said Saudi and Yemeni troops oppose Houthi domination near the maritime corridor, describing local counteroffensives as an expected development. His remarks followed the announcement by Rashad al-Alimi, chair of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, of a military operation to retake the capital, Sanaa. Washington has so far declined to take part directly in strikes, providing intelligence and advisory assistance to Saudi Arabia instead.