Rubio: Saudi Arabia has the right to defend itself by attacking the Houthis
Marco Rubio said Saudi Arabia was attacked by the Houthis and has the right to defend itself, noting that the current operation in Yemen is a counterattack to recover Houthi-held territory and that the United States is bound by a security agreement with Riyadh.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that Saudi Arabia has the right to defend itself by attacking the Houthis.
Rubio said in press remarks: "Saudi Arabia has been attacked by the Houthis, recognizes the threat they pose, and has the right to defend itself."
He added: "What is happening now in Yemen is a counterattack to recover territory that the Houthis seized, and we expected this to happen; Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni forces do not want the Houthis to continue controlling the area near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait."
He continued: "The United States has a binding security agreement with Saudi Arabia and we intend to abide by it."
Yemeni government forces launched a military operation to retake control of areas near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in Yemen, called "Fajr al-Yemen" ("Dawn of Yemen"), with the participation of fighter jets.
So far, fighting continues between Yemeni forces and the Houthis, and according to Saudi media much territory has been seized, with the aim of reaching Sanaa.
