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Gulf

Khalid bin Salman Discusses Regional Developments, Bilateral Relations with Top US Officials

Prince Khalid bin Salman during his meeting with Minister Lloyd Austin at the presence of Saudi Ambassador Princess Rima bint Bandar in Washington
Prince Khalid bin Salman during his meeting with Minister Lloyd Austin at the presence of Saudi Ambassador Princess Rima bint Bandar in Washington
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Khalid bin Salman Discusses Regional Developments, Bilateral Relations with Top US Officials

Prince Khalid bin Salman during his meeting with Minister Lloyd Austin at the presence of Saudi Ambassador Princess Rima bint Bandar in Washington
Prince Khalid bin Salman during his meeting with Minister Lloyd Austin at the presence of Saudi Ambassador Princess Rima bint Bandar in Washington

Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held talks Wednesday with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and other US officials during his visit to Washington.

Prince Khalid said in a tweet that the meeting with Blinken discussed the strategic Saudi-US partnership, reviewed the latest developments in the region, and explored ways to strengthen Saudi-US ties.

They also reviewed coordination between the two countries and "discussed opportunities for cooperation over a wide range of issues."

The Prince also met Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland to discuss the partnership between the two countries and regional and international developments.

The White House confirmed Washington's commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia in defending its territories and maintaining its security from the attacks of the Iranian-backed Houthi group, praising the long-term relations between the two countries and the partnership in achieving regional security.

National Security Council (NSC) Spokesperson Emily Horne announced that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met in Washington with Prince Khalid to discuss the longstanding partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia, regional security, and the US commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory as it faces attacks from Iranian-aligned groups.

"They also discussed the importance of coordinating efforts to ensure a strong global economic recovery, to advance the climate agenda, and to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East," said Horne, adding that they agreed to stay in touch regularly over the coming months to discuss these issues.

Prince Khalid said in a tweet that he reviewed with Sullivan mutual coordination between the two countries within the framework of the historic partnership and discussed regional and international developments as well as issues of mutual concern.

Also, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin emphasized the US commitment to the defense partnership with Saudi Arabia, expressing concerns over Iran's destabilizing activity.

Austin also referred to the tweet of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl with the Saudi Deputy Minister, stressing the importance of ending the war in Yemen, appreciating Saudi support of US Special Envoy Lenderking.

"Enjoyed seeing Saudi Vice MinDef during his meeting w/ @DOD_Policy. Emphasized US commitment to our defense partnership, expressed concerns over Iran’s destabilizing activity, the importance of ending the war in Yemen, & appreciation for Saudi support of US Spec. Envoy Lenderking," tweeted Austin.

Prince Khalid bin Salman said that during his visit to the United States, he held extensive talks at the Pentagon with Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, and Kahl.

"We discussed the longstanding and historic partnership between our two countries, our military and defense cooperation, and our mutual efforts to preserve regional stability."

According to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, the US Chief of Staff, General Mark Milley, also attended the meeting.

Deputy Press Secretary for the Department of Defense Jamal Brown said Kahl met with Prince Khalid at the Pentagon to reaffirm the US-Saudi defense relationship.

Kahl emphasized the US commitment to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory and people.

Brown said in a statement that the two leaders discussed a range of issues related to regional security and stability, particularly efforts to end the war in Yemen and the shared US-Saudi commitment to counter Iran's destabilizing activities.

ِAccording to Brown, Kahl thanked Vice Minister Prince Salman for working closely and constructively with US Special Envoy Tim Lenderking to end the war in Yemen and condemned the Houthi cross-border attacks.

As part of the visit, the Saudi Deputy Defense Minister held a joint meeting with the US National Security Council's coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk, and the US Special Envoy for Yemen Timothy Lenderking.

The meeting discussed the latest developments in Yemen, the Kingdom's firm position in supporting the brotherly Yemeni people and their legitimate government, and efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution and achieve security and stability in Yemen.

Prince Khalid revealed in a tweet that he also held talks with US envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman.

The two sides reviewed the Kingdom's efforts to support the security and stability of the African continent and its efforts to aid its progress and development.

For his part, State Department spokesman Ned Price announced that the Saudi deputy secretary of defense would hold a series of meetings with US officials, including State Department officials as well as NSC and DOD.

"They'll be discussing important issues to the bilateral relationship. We do expect some readouts will be issued over the course of that visit."

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Gulf

Analysts to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Coordination, Support to Yemen Govt to Reshape Balance of Power

Forces loyal Yemen's legitimate government ride in pick-up trucks along a road in the Hays district, south of Hodeidah on September 5, 2026. (AFP)
Forces loyal Yemen's legitimate government ride in pick-up trucks along a road in the Hays district, south of Hodeidah on September 5, 2026. (AFP)
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Analysts to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Coordination, Support to Yemen Govt to Reshape Balance of Power

Forces loyal Yemen's legitimate government ride in pick-up trucks along a road in the Hays district, south of Hodeidah on September 5, 2026. (AFP)
Forces loyal Yemen's legitimate government ride in pick-up trucks along a road in the Hays district, south of Hodeidah on September 5, 2026. (AFP)

The latest Houthi attacks have pushed Saudi Arabia toward a tougher strategy of decisive deterrence, political analysts said, warning that Riyadh will not tolerate threats to its citizens or vital infrastructure.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, analysts said the shift is being reinforced by deeper political, military and security coordination with Yemen’s legitimate government, strengthening its ability to confront threats and reshape the balance of power on the ground.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah said on Tuesday that the Kingdom would not hesitate to defend itself against attacks by the terrorist Houthi militia and would use all available means to protect its interests.

Speaking at a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia was pursuing diplomatic solutions to avert further suffering for Yemen and its people and would not hesitate to support measures that served the interests of Yemen and the region.

He added that the door to diplomacy in dealing with the Houthis remained open.

Prince Faisal said the Houthis were putting their narrow personal interests ahead of those of Yemen and that Yemen’s legitimate government had given them an opportunity to negotiate responsibly. He described their latest escalation as part of their pattern of provocation.

Limits of Saudi patience

Abdulaziz bin Sager, chairman of the Jeddah-based Gulf Research Center, said Yemen’s legitimate government was fulfilling its responsibility to confront Houthi attacks targeting civilians and vital facilities inside Yemen.

He said the government had mobilized its capabilities and resources and unified its ranks, particularly at the military level.

“The Kingdom will not tolerate any attacks targeting its citizens, residents or vital facilities, and its patience has limits,” bin Sager said.

He expected Riyadh to respond “forcefully and decisively against the sources of fire, in proportion to the intensity of the attacks,” citing what had recently happened in Iraq.

Bin Sager said the Houthis had misread Saudi Arabia’s patience “because they do not act according to reason or logic and are still receiving instructions.”

He added that the group had been given several opportunities over the past few years but had failed to take advantage of them.

More decisive phase

Yemeni writer Saleh al-Baydani said the latest developments pointed to “a shift from managing and containing escalation to a more decisive phase aimed at deterring it.”

“Saudi Arabia offered ample opportunities for de-escalation and a political solution, but the Houthis misread this restraint,” al-Baydani told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“They treated it as a permanent constraint on Saudi action rather than a calculated political choice that could be reconsidered when circumstances changed.”

Al-Baydani said the latest attacks on Saudi territory and facilities had raised the threat to a level at which maintaining the previous approach had become difficult.

“When the Houthis shift from being a party to a Yemeni crisis into an instrument of regional pressure more clearly linked to Iran’s calculations and its conflict in the region, the way they are dealt with necessarily changes,” he said.

According to al-Baydani, the escalation was no longer confined to the Yemen conflict but now affected Saudi national security, Red Sea security, energy supplies and the safety of international shipping lanes.

Saudi-Yemeni coordination

He said coordination between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s legitimate government had entered a new phase compared with previous years, politically, militarily and in terms of security.

“Saudi Arabia appears more aware of the importance of having a Yemeni partner capable of managing the confrontation on the ground, while the Yemeni government recognizes that any serious action against the Houthis requires regional cover as well as political, military and economic support,” he added.

Al-Baydani stressed that the success of the next phase would depend on the Yemeni side’s ability to unify its military and political decision-making and turn the presence of multiple forces and fronts from a weakness into a source of pressure on the Houthis.

“If that happens, we may be looking not at a temporary round of fighting, but at an attempt to reshape the balance of power that has prevailed over the past few years,” he said.

Yemeni government forces expanded their advances across several fronts on Tuesday, recapturing the al-Yatma area in the al-Jawf province, northeast of Sanaa.

The advance came a day after government forces retook the al-Labanat area in the same province and coincided with the launch of a large-scale military operation in al-Bayda province, southeast of Sanaa.

Fighting also continued along Yemen’s western coast and west of Taiz on the sixth day since the Houthi escalation began.

The advances came after government forces shifted in recent days from containing Houthi ground attacks to regaining the initiative on several fronts, taking advantage of the group’s retreat from some positions.

Army units, resistance forces and the Giants Brigades continued operations on several fronts.

Gulf

Faisal bin Farhan to Houthis: You Have Started Something You Cannot Handle

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Russian FM Sergei Lavrov meet in Moscow on Tuesday. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Russian FM Sergei Lavrov meet in Moscow on Tuesday. (SPA)
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Faisal bin Farhan to Houthis: You Have Started Something You Cannot Handle

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Russian FM Sergei Lavrov meet in Moscow on Tuesday. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah and Russian FM Sergei Lavrov meet in Moscow on Tuesday. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah stressed on Tuesday that the Kingdom will not hesitate to defend itself against any aggression and will use all available means to protect its interests, directing a strongly-worded message to the Houthis that the militias “have started something they cannot handle.” 

Speaking during a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart in Moscow, Prince Faisal said Saudi Arabia “will not hesitate to support whatever achieves the interests of Yemen and the region,” and that it will use all available means to protect its interests and defend itself against aggressions. 

Addressing the Houthi escalation, he accused the Houthi terrorist militias of attempting to export their internal problems in Yemen to Saudi Arabia. 

He added that the Houthis resort to violence whenever they find themselves in a difficult position, and that they insist on inflicting further suffering upon the Yemeni people instead of responsibly engaging in a political process that would end the crisis. 

Despite the firm tone regarding the escalation, Prince Faisal added that the door to diplomacy remains open for dealing with the Houthis, noting that the legitimate Yemeni government has provided them with an opportunity to negotiate responsibly.  

However, the group prefers its narrow, personal interests over the interests of Yemen and its people, he lamented. 

The Saudi FM stressed that the Kingdom will not hesitate to support whatever serves the interest of Yemen and the region, while simultaneously upholding its right to protect its security and interests, and to counter aggressions using all available means. 

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the Houthi attacks on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia as “unacceptable,” warning that they endanger civilian lives and infrastructure and inflict damage on the global economy, given the strategic importance of the Arabian Peninsula and its surrounding waters to international trade. 

He added that Moscow views the Houthi attacks as “counterproductive,” underlining Russia's full support for Saudi Arabia's efforts to continue implementing the roadmap for a peaceful settlement in Yemen. 

He stressed his rejection of any attempt to resolve issues through military means, underscoring the need to guarantee the freedom and safety of navigation in international waters, including the waters adjacent to the Yemeni coast. 

He also called for expediting the launch of a direct dialogue between influential Yemeni factions, based on the roadmap reached through a Saudi initiative. 

Prince Faisal had arrived in Moscow on Tuesday morning for an official visit, during which he held talks with Lavrov that addressed bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as regional and international developments of mutual interest. 

Gulf

Saudi Arabia Says Reserves Right to Respond to Houthi Attacks as Condemnations Pour in

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Says Reserves Right to Respond to Houthi Attacks as Condemnations Pour in

A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

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.”

Condemnations pour in

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 and Arab condemnations followed the Houthi attacks, underscoring full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, rejecting the targeting of civilians and civilian objects and infrastructure, and reaffirming support for the Kingdom in all measures it takes to protect its security, sovereignty, and capabilities. 

Kuwait strongly condemned the Houthi attacks, saying they are a “flagrant violation” of the Kingdom's sovereignty, a direct threat to the security and safety of its citizens and residents, and a breach of international law and international humanitarian law. 

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that these attacks are a “dangerous and unjustified escalation” that would undermine regional security and stability.  

It also condemned the Houthis' continued targeting of commercial vessels in the Red Sea, citing the threat it poses to the security and safety of maritime navigation, global energy supplies, and international trade. 

Kuwait stressed its absolute solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for all measures it takes to safeguard its sovereignty, maintain its security, stability, and interests, and protect its citizens and residents. It said that the Kingdom's security is “an indivisible part of the security of Kuwait and the security of the GCC states.” 

Bahrain condemned the attacks, calling on the international community, particularly the Security Council, to take a firm stance to deter the aggressions, hold the perpetrators accountable, and implement the relevant international resolutions. 

It noted that, in its capacity as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, it will continue to work alongside GCC states and international partners toward a “firm UN response” and to translate the council members' condemnation of the attacks into practical measures. 

Manama reiterated its support for efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive and sustainable Yemeni-led political solution to the crisis, its standing alongside the legitimate government, and its support for the efforts of the UN envoy, in a manner that preserves the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Yemen. 

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the Houthi attacks as a “disgraceful aggressive behavior and an unacceptable disregard for civilian lives and the security of regional states,” a violation of Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, and a breach of the rules of international law. 

It warned of a “dangerous escalation” that threatens the security and stability of the region, urging the need for an immediate halt to these acts. 

Doha called on the international community to take a firm stance against the violations and to ensure the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions regarding the security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. 

Similar condemnations poured in from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the UAE.

Cairo expressed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, saying it stands by its side against any threats to its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. 

 The Kingdom's security is “an indivisible part of Egyptian and Arab national security,” it added. 

The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed Amman’s “absolute” solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for all steps it takes to protect its security, stability, capabilities, and the safety of its citizens and residents. 

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Lebanon was “following with deep concern this dangerous escalation targeting the security and stability of Saudi Arabia.” 

“We strongly condemn this aggressive act, which constitutes a blatant violation of a sisterly state's sovereignty and a direct threat to the safety of its citizens and residents,” he added. 

In a statement by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE condemned in the strongest terms the Houthi attacks, as well as the continued targeting of commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the threat to the safety of maritime navigation. 

The ministry emphasized that these attacks are a flagrant violation of Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and a threat to its security and stability, reaffirming the UAE's full solidarity with the Kingdom and its support for all measures taken to safeguard its security and stability.