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Pentagon to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Arabia is a Major Partner, Important Pillar of Regional Security

FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon is seen in this aerial photo from the Air Force One in Washington, DC, US, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon is seen in this aerial photo from the Air Force One in Washington, DC, US, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo
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Pentagon to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Arabia is a Major Partner, Important Pillar of Regional Security

FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon is seen in this aerial photo from the Air Force One in Washington, DC, US, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Pentagon is seen in this aerial photo from the Air Force One in Washington, DC, US, March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo

The US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) said that Saudi Arabia was a major partner of the United States in the region and an important pillar of the regional security.

This comes as the US is preparing to strengthen its military bases in the Kingdom during the coming period.

Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps Anton Semelroth, a spokesman for the Pentagon, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Ministry of Defense continues to assess its situation in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf region to ensure a balance between operational requirements and risks, as well as to prepare for achieving global commitments.

Semelroth stressed that Saudi Arabia was a key partner of the United States in the Middle East and an important pillar of regional security.

He quoted Lloyd Austin, the Secretary of Defense, as telling the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that the Ministry of Defense will maintain talks with its regional partners in the Middle East to determine the capabilities required to deter Iran and support regional stability.

Asked about the suspension of arms sales and transfers to Saudi Arabia, as well as direct commercial sales that were permitted by the administration of former President Donald Trump, the high-ranking US official stressed that this move was temporary.

He emphasized that this regular administrative procedure “demonstrates the administration’s commitment to transparency and good governance, in addition to ensuring that US arms sales meet our strategic goals of building a robust security system for our partners that is more resilient to risks.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that his country would focus on the actions of the Houthi group, which occupied Sanaa and targeted Washington’s direct ally - Saudi Arabia. In his first press conference on Wednesday, Blinken stressed that the Houthis committed numerous violations against human rights.

For his part, General Kenneth Mckenzie, commander of the Central Command on the Middle East, revealed that the Pentagon had concluded a preliminary arrangement with Riyadh for the use of various air bases and sea ports in the western regions of the country to face any war with Iran.

Addressing journalists during a visit to the US bases in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, Mckenzie said that in the event of any conflict with Iran, the United States would be able to transfer forces to and from the region from the West, and to place fighters and other aircraft away from Iranian missile launchers.

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Gulf

Saudi Arabia Calls for Effective Collective Response to Protect Vital Shipping Routes

Saudi Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Fahd Al-Ghufaili during his participation in the 22nd Regional Security Summit in Manama (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Fahd Al-Ghufaili during his participation in the 22nd Regional Security Summit in Manama (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Calls for Effective Collective Response to Protect Vital Shipping Routes

Saudi Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Fahd Al-Ghufaili during his participation in the 22nd Regional Security Summit in Manama (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Fahd Al-Ghufaili during his participation in the 22nd Regional Security Summit in Manama (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Fahd Al-Ghufaili emphasized on Sunday the importance of strengthening international cooperation to protect vital maritime corridors.

He stressed the need to ensure freedom of navigation and the safety of international trade, noting that maritime security is a shared responsibility requiring concerted international efforts.

Al-Ghufaili headed the Saudi Ministry of Defense delegation at the opening of the 22nd Regional Security Summit (IISS Manama Dialogue 2026). The summit brought together high-level international delegations comprising ministers, security officials, and military commanders.

Addressing the forum, Al-Ghufaili explained that seas and waterways are vital arteries for the global economy, energy security, and supply chains. He warned that any disruption in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, or Gulf of Aden would affect international trade, energy markets, and food security.

Al-Ghufaili noted that Houthi attacks on commercial vessels and oil tankers since 2023, alongside disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, underscore the seriousness of maritime threats.

He stressed the need for an effective collective response to protect vital shipping routes and strengthen regional and international security and stability.

He stated that Saudi Arabia launched an international initiative on July 30, resulting in the establishment of the Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition.

The coalition has been joined by 14 countries, while others have expressed their willingness to join upon completing their relevant national procedures.

Al-Ghufaili emphasized that protecting vessels, maritime facilities, ports, and shipping lanes requires cooperation, coordination, and information sharing. He also highlighted the importance of joint capacity building and preventive measures to avert crises before they occur.

He stressed that force cannot replace the rule of law and that disputes must not threaten freedom of navigation or the safety of international trade.

He explained that Saudi Arabia's vision for maritime security is based on respecting the sovereignty and legitimate rights of states and ensuring freedom of navigation and passage in accordance with international law.

It also calls for preventing the use of maritime corridors as instruments of pressure or escalation and categorically rejects attacks on commercial vessels and civilian facilities. The vision further emphasizes strengthening regional and international cooperation to address maritime threats in all their forms.

Al-Ghufaili stated that maritime security cannot be achieved through military capabilities alone. It also requires trust, transparency, common rules, and mechanisms to prevent escalation. He called for establishing a sustainable regional maritime security framework based on prevention, early warning, information sharing, and operational coordination. Such a framework would support collective action to address risks before they develop into crises.

He stressed that seas must remain bridges of communication and prosperity rather than arenas of conflict. International straits must remain safe passages for navigation rather than instruments of political or military pressure, while international law must remain the reference framework for resolving disputes between states.

Al-Ghufaili reaffirmed that maritime security, freedom of navigation, and the stability of international straits are shared international responsibilities. He emphasized the need for partnership, adherence to international law, and prioritizing dialogue and wisdom over escalation and confrontation.

These principles serve the security of regional countries and safeguard the interests of the international community.

 

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Strongly Condemns Targeting of Qatar Gas Transport Company's LNG Carrier Al Mayeda

Saudi Arabia Strongly Condemns Targeting of Qatar Gas Transport Company's LNG Carrier Al Mayeda
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Saudi Arabia Strongly Condemns Targeting of Qatar Gas Transport Company's LNG Carrier Al Mayeda

Saudi Arabia Strongly Condemns Targeting of Qatar Gas Transport Company's LNG Carrier Al Mayeda

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom’s strongest condemnation and denunciation of the targeting of "Al Mayeda" liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, owned by Qatar Gas Transport Company, in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, reiterating its rejection of all violations that threaten the security and safety of maritime navigation and global energy supplies, SPA reported.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirms its solidarity with the State of Qatar in all the measures it takes to protect its maritime vessels and ensure the safety of its international trade. It stresses the importance of the international community taking urgent measures to ensure maritime security and the safety of international trade, and to enforce international law in this regard,” the foreign ministry said.

Gulf

Coalition Targets Houthi Maritime Support Assets in Specialized Military Operation

Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Coalition Targets Houthi Maritime Support Assets in Specialized Military Operation

Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Coalition's Joint Forces Command carried out a specialized military operation on Sunday to neutralize maritime assets used by the Houthi terrorist militia to support its war effort, in a move aimed at curbing the group's ability to continue its repeated and brutal attacks.

Major General Turki Al-Malki, the Coalition Forces' official spokesperson, said the operation followed the Houthi terrorist militia's continued deliberate and systematic attacks against civilians and civilian objects in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, as well as its attempts to exploit maritime resources to strengthen its military capabilities and sustain its hostile and brutal operations.

Al-Malki said these attacks posed a direct threat to civilian lives and the safety of civilian objects, as well as to the security of Saudi Arabia and Yemen and maritime shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea.

He affirmed that the Coalition's Joint Forces Command would continue taking and implementing the necessary operational measures to deter the Houthi terrorist militia's conduct and prevent it from using maritime assets to support its war effort.

He stressed the need for the militia to cease all hostile and brutal operations against civilians and civilian objects, warning that otherwise, the Houthi terrorist militia would bear the consequences of its hostile actions.