Riyadh: Saudi Arabia reaffirmed support for a “comprehensive political solution” in Yemen, state media reported early Friday, after President Joe Biden ended US support for the kingdom’s military campaign in the country.
“The kingdom has affirmed its firm position in support of a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis, and welcomes the US emphasis on the importance of supporting diplomatic efforts to resolve the Yemeni crisis,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
The statement did not address Biden’s pledge to terminate US support for Saudi-led offensive operations in Yemen.
“We are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arm sales,” Biden said Thursday in his first major speech on foreign affairs.
“At the same time, Saudi Arabia faces missile attacks and other attacks from Iranian supplied forces in multiple countries. We’re going to help Saudi Arabia to defend its territory and its people,” Biden added.
Saudi Arabia has come under repeated missile or drone attacks from Yemen’s Huthi rebels since it launched a military intervention against them in 2015.
“We welcome President Biden’s stated commitment to work with friends and allies to resolve conflicts, and deal with attacks from Iran & its proxies in the region,” Prince Khalid bin Salman, the kingdom’s deputy defense minister, wrote on Twitter.
