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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on October 5, 2026 that the United States has a defense and security agreement with Saudi Arabia and intends to live by it. Rubio told a press conference that Saudi Arabia has a right to defend itself against continued Houthi attacks. He added that Yemeni government forces were seeking to regain territory lost in earlier clashes with the group.
The remarks came ahead of Rubio’s departure for a European trip including Iceland, Greece and Portugal, Arab News reported. A strategic defense agreement between Washington and Riyadh was signed in November 2025 when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Washington, according to a White House fact sheet from that period. The pact sought to build on more than 80 years of defense cooperation while enhancing deterrence across the Middle East.
Fighting has intensified around the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, a critical shipping corridor linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, according to Arab News. Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, announced the launch of a military operation aimed at retaking the Houthi-held capital Sanaa and restoring state institutions. Rubio described the local counteroffensives by Saudi and Yemeni forces as an expected development against Houthi aggression.
A series of Houthi missile and drone strikes targeted Saudi oil facilities and cities in September 2026, wounding 73 people including women and children, NPR reported. Saudi authorities said they intercepted six ballistic missiles aimed at Taif and Yanbu, according to a Reuters dispatch. The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on Riyadh and Aramco sites in Yanbu though those assertions could not be independently confirmed.
Washington has focused on supplying intelligence and advisory assistance to Saudi Arabia rather than direct kinetic support, a September report by CNN indicated. Rubio declined to outline specific military options available to President Donald Trump but said the administration was living up to its commitments. The November 2025 agreement included approvals for future F-35 deliveries and the purchase of nearly 300 American tanks, the White House fact sheet showed.
