US backs Saudi Arabia’s right to respond to Houthi attacks, Rubio says

The United States will honour its defence and security commitments to Saudi Arabia as Saudi-backed Yemeni forces push back against a Houthi offensive, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, while stopping short of confirming whether Washington would provide air support.

Rubio said Saudi Arabia had been targeted by the Houthis and had the right to defend itself as fighting continued over territory near a strategically important maritime passage.

“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.

However, he declined to provide details of what that commitment could mean in terms of US military support.

Rubio was responding to questions about recent operations by Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia against the Houthis, including whether the United States had coordinated the offensive or was considering providing air support.

“I won't discuss details further than that,” Rubio said, without directly confirming or denying any US involvement in air operations.

He characterised the fighting as a counteroffensive aimed at recovering territory that had previously been captured 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,” Rubio said.

He added that the territory had been seized during a previous Houthi offensive and that the current military action was a response.

“We expected that would happen and that's what's happening,” he said.

Rubio also pointed to the security threat posed by Houthi attacks as a justification for Saudi Arabia’s response.

“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 fighting is significant beyond Yemen because of the location of the contested territory. The Houthis have previously demonstrated their ability to threaten commercial and military vessels operating in waters around Yemen, raising concerns over the security of shipping routes and strategically important waterways.

Rubio’s comments came during a broader interaction with reporters before his departure from Washington for Europe.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have maintained a longstanding security partnership involving defence cooperation, arms sales, military training and coordination over regional security threats. Rubio’s remarks reaffirmed that relationship while leaving open the question of the specific military assistance Washington might provide in the latest fighting.

Yemen has remained embroiled in a complex conflict involving the Houthis, the internationally recognised government and regional powers. The Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year.

The conflict has also been closely linked to broader tensions between Iran and the United States and its regional allies. Washington has accused Tehran of providing military support to the Houthis, while Iran has described its relationship with the group as political and rejected US characterisations of its role.

The latest developments therefore carry implications not only for the balance of power inside Yemen but also for regional security and the safety of shipping through strategically important waters near the Arabian Peninsula.