The US on Thursday renewed its commitment to the defense of Saudi Arabia, according to recent statements by Washington’s Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking.
In an interview with Al Arabiya, Lenderking stressed that Washington is “100 percent committed to the defense of Saudi Arabia.”
He said the Saudis can rely on Washington’s commitment to their defense, adding that cross-border attacks on the Kingdom should stop.
“We have 70,000 Americans living and working all over the Kingdom. And it would be a terrible thing for any of those Americans to be harmed, in addition to Saudis and all the many other international people working in Saudi Arabia,” Lenderking noted, adding that their lives remain at risk due to the Houthis’ missiles.
Lenderking also voiced Washington’s concern over Iran’s military support to the Houthi militias, noting that there is no proof showing that Tehran intends to end the war in Yemen.
“If Iran wants to show good faith regarding the stability in the region, Yemen would be a fantastic place to start,” he noted.
The envoy stressed that the UN Security Council’s condemnation of Houthis reflects the commitment of the US and the international community to end the war in Yemen.
On the decision of President Joe Biden’s administration that revoked a terrorist designation of the Houthis introduced by former President Donald Trump in January, Lenderking said, “We did assess very quickly that there would be a negative impact on the humanitarian situation and the commercial situation.”
