Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defence Minister Prince Khalid Bin Salman announced on Friday that his country will continue its political and military support to the Yemeni government against Iranian-backed Houthi militias, news agencies reported.
His comments came in response to US President Joe Biden’s decision to end US support for the kingdom’s military campaign in Yemen.
Bin Salman, however, expressed: “We look forward to continuing working with our American partners to alleviate the humanitarian situation and find a solution to the Yemen crisis.”
According to Anadolu Agency, he also reaffirmed the kingdom’s commitment to supporting diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement in Yemen based on the Gulf initiative, United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 2216 and the outcomes of the Yemeni national dialogue.
On Thursday, Biden declared in his first foreign policy speech: “This war has to end.” He stated: “To underscore our commitment, we’re ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arm sales.”
READ: UN: 600 Yemen families displaced in January
At the same time, the new US president named veteran diplomat Timothy Lenderking as the US’ first envoy to Yemen.
Since the formation of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition in Yemen in 2015, the US has offered support to the coalition by providing military, intelligence and logistic support.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the conflict in Yemen has claimed the lives of 233,000 people.
