Washington, Oct 6 (IANS) The United States intends to honour its defence and security commitments to Saudi Arabia as Saudi-backed Yemeni forces counter a Houthi offensive, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, while declining to say whether Washington would provide air support.
Rubio said Saudi Arabia had come under Houthi attack and had a right to defend itself, as fighting continued over territory near a strategically important strait.
“The United States has a defence and security agreement with Saudi Arabia, and we intend to live by it,” Rubio told reporters at Joint Base Andrews.
“I won’t discuss details further than that,” he added.
Rubio was responding to questions about recent operations by Yemeni government forces, with Saudi support, against the Houthis and whether the United States would provide air support or had coordinated the operations.
He did not directly answer whether Washington was providing or considering air support.
Rubio instead described the fighting as a counteroffensive against territory previously seized by the Houthis.
“I think it’s – the Saudis and Yemeni forces clearly are not in favour of the Houthis controlling that territory close to the – to the strait there,” he said.
“And it’s territory that was gained as a result of a Houthi offensive, and this is the counter to it. We expected that would happen and that’s what’s happening.”
Rubio said the threat posed by the Houthis gave Saudi Arabia grounds to respond.
“So obviously the Saudis have come under Houthi attack and see the threat that that poses, and they have a right to defend themselves,” he said.
“And obviously the Yemeni forces are going to try to retake territory that they were ousted from.”
The Houthis have previously demonstrated their ability to threaten commercial and military vessels operating in waters around Yemen, making control of territory near strategic waterways an international security concern.
Rubio’s comments came during a wide-ranging exchange with reporters before he departed Washington for Europe.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have maintained a longstanding security relationship that includes defence cooperation, arms sales, military training and coordination on regional security threats.
Yemen has endured years of conflict involving the Houthis, the internationally recognised government and regional powers. The Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year.
The conflict has also become intertwined with wider regional tensions involving Iran. Washington has accused Tehran of providing military support to the Houthis, while Iran has said its relationship with the group is political and has rejected US characterisations of its role in the conflict.
–IANS
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