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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 Says Reserves Right to Respond to Houthi Attacks that Wounded 73 Civilians

The Kingdom vowed that "it will not be lenient against any assault that targets its territories." (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Kingdom vowed that "it will not be lenient against any assault that targets its territories." (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Says Reserves Right to Respond to Houthi Attacks that Wounded 73 Civilians

The Kingdom vowed that "it will not be lenient against any assault that targets its territories." (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Kingdom vowed that "it will not be lenient against any assault that targets its territories." (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia underscored on Tuesday its right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security for its citizens and residents following the terrorist Houthi militia attack that targeted civilian and economic areas in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran that left 73 people wounded, including women and children.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attacks, as well as the Houthis’ continued attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and their threats to international marine navigation.

It reiterated its categorical rejection of the “hostile” and “criminal behavior” that the Houthis are adopting in threatening the security and stability of Yemen and its Arab and Islamic surroundings, as well as their continued rejection of peace efforts.

The Kingdom vowed that “it will not be lenient against any assault that targets its territories and capabilities,” stressing that “the measures it takes to defend its sovereignty and security are in line with international law.”

It demanded “an immediate halt to all forms of escalation and threats to marine navigation,” calling on the international community “to assume its responsibilities and implement relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi strongly condemned the “terrorist attacks” carried out by the Houthi group against the Kingdom, saying they are a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms” that deliberately disregard the security and safety of civilians and regional stability.

“These recurring attacks once again expose the malicious intent of the Houthi group and demonstrate its explicit rejection of all efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability in Yemen,” he said in a statement.

"Targeting civilian installations and national capabilities is a condemned terrorist act that cannot be justified or tolerated under any pretext. The Houthi group's persistence in these hostile practices represents a blatant challenge to the international community and a direct threat to regional and international peace and security," Albudaiwi stressed.

He further underscored “the urgent need for the international community to adopt a firm and deterrent stance against these violations, hold perpetrators and their backers accountable, and halt this ongoing terrorist conduct that jeopardizes regional security and the interests of its peoples.”

“GCC member states stand united alongside Saudi Arabia,” he added, expressing full solidarity with the Kingdom in confronting all threats to its security, stability, sovereignty, and national capabilities.

Albudaiwi reaffirmed complete GCC support for all measures and actions taken by the Kingdom to protect its territory, citizens, and residents, wishing the injured a swift and full recovery.

Gulf

Alliances, Energy Security and Balanced Partnerships: Pillars of Saudi Stability

Speakers are seen at the panel discussion at the Security and History Dialogue 2026 Conference in Riyadh on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Speakers are seen at the panel discussion at the Security and History Dialogue 2026 Conference in Riyadh on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Alliances, Energy Security and Balanced Partnerships: Pillars of Saudi Stability

Speakers are seen at the panel discussion at the Security and History Dialogue 2026 Conference in Riyadh on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Speakers are seen at the panel discussion at the Security and History Dialogue 2026 Conference in Riyadh on Monday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Political and economic experts linked security, stable energy supplies and independent decision-making as key pillars of Saudi stability, stressing that alliances can deter wars, while domestic security protects the energy industry and balanced partnerships allow the Kingdom to maintain international ties without compromising its sovereignty.

The remarks were made during a panel Monday at the Security and History Dialogue 2026 Conference in Riyadh.

Alliances to prevent wars

Saudi journalist and Asharq Al-Awsat columnist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed noted that Iran had attacked nine countries in the region and that major alliances were needed to prevent war.

He pointed to the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council as a bloc formed to confront Iranian threats, while other coalitions followed, including the alliance that liberated Kuwait, in which the GCC played a role.

Saudi Arabia has faced attacks from three fronts — directly from Iran, as well as from Iraq and Yemen — prompting countries to seek common ground, Al-Rashed added.

He described the Saudi-Pakistani-Turkish alliance as bringing together regional countries bordering Iran, but stressed that its purpose goes beyond Tehran and is aimed more broadly at protecting states from attacks.

Al-Rashed highlighted longstanding military ties between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, dating to the 1970s and 1990s, as well as growing military cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Türkiye over the past three or four years.

He also cited the strength of Türkiye’s defense industry, saying that such cooperation sends a clear message that attacking any of the three countries would carry a high cost.

Security and energy supplies

Energy adviser Ibrahim Al-Muhanna described domestic and international energy security and stability as essential to economic growth, internal stability and citizens’ well-being, alongside the availability of petroleum products and other energy sources worldwide.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s second-largest oil producer, and has at times been first, as well as its second-largest exporter, he noted. The Kingdom is also virtually alone in maintaining spare production capacity that enables it to compensate for supply shortages elsewhere.

Al-Muhanna stressed that domestic security and stability underpin the Kingdom’s continued role in the oil industry and its ability to supply global markets. Protecting oil facilities has been a priority since the reign of King Abdulaziz, beginning around the time the Kingdom signed an agreement with an American company, he added.

Recalling the 1980s tanker war during the Iran-Iraq War, Al-Muhanna explained that Saudi Arabia began considering ways to export oil from the Gulf to the Red Sea and planning the East-West pipeline. The pipeline now carries about 7 million barrels and supplies refineries on the Red Sea, while providing an alternative route when Gulf exports face disruptions.

Balancing partnerships and independence

Abdulaziz Sager, chairman of the Gulf Research Center, highlighted Saudi Arabia’s ability to maintain its international relationships while balancing ties with competing global powers.

He pointed to Riyadh’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war as an example of that balance: the Kingdom voted against Russia and provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine while maintaining relations with Moscow.

Saudi Arabia also supported the establishment of the GCC, was a founding member of the Arab League, hosts the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and belongs to international organizations and the G20.

For the Kingdom, partnership does not mean relinquishing independence or sovereignty but instead reinforces the principles of neutrality and balance, Sager added.

Forward-looking policy

International relations researcher Joseph Kechichian described Saudi foreign policy as consistent over time and, in most cases, forward-looking.

While Saudi society is traditional, past and present developments have allowed it to evolve, contrary to some outside perceptions of authority in the Kingdom, he observed.

That consistency has evolved from reliance on basic security guarantees into a pragmatic strategy. Saudi Arabia’s strategic alignment at times extends beyond longstanding security partnerships with the US, UK and others to include relations with China, Russia and countries of the Global South, he said.

He stressed that the approach is aimed at promoting regional stability and supporting economic transformation.

Gulf

Saudi FM Discusses Middle East Issues with German-Arab Parliamentary Group Chair

The Saudi and German delegations meet in Berlin. (SPA)
The Saudi and German delegations meet in Berlin. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Discusses Middle East Issues with German-Arab Parliamentary Group Chair

The Saudi and German delegations meet in Berlin. (SPA)
The Saudi and German delegations meet in Berlin. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held talks in Berlin with Chair of the German-Arab Parliamentary Relations Group in the German Bundestag Dr. Alexander Radwan, along with a number of members of parliament, during his official visit to Germany, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday. 

They reviewed Saudi-German relations and exchanged views on the most significant issues and challenges in the Middle East. 

They also tackled efforts by Saudi Arabia and partner countries to reach comprehensive, just, and peaceful solutions to the crises in the region. 

Prince Faisal also met with German Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche. 

They reviewed bilateral economic relations and discussed opportunities to expand the scope of partnership, increase trade and investment exchange, and leverage the capabilities available to both countries in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. These efforts support growing economic ties, open new horizons for partnership, and advance common interests. 

They underlined the importance of developing relations in the energy sector and strengthening related partnerships, including energy security and sustainability and improving supply chain resilience.  

They stressed the importance of ensuring the security and safety of waterways and the freedom of commercial navigation, contributing to limiting the repercussions of current crises and supporting the stability of energy markets and the global economy.