RIYADH — New US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reiterated Washington's commitment to helping Saudi Arabia defend its sovereignty. The US secretary of state made the remarks in his talks on the phone with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan late Wednesday following a terror attack launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia on Abha airport, causing fire to a passenger plane. According to the Saudi Press Agency, they discussed the attack on airport and several regional developments. "Secretary Blinken condemned the Houthi attacks against the Abha International Airport, which struck a civilian airliner," the US State Department said in a statement. "Secretary Blinken and the Foreign Minister discussed joint efforts to bolster Saudi defenses against attacks on the Kingdom. The Secretary and Foreign Minister outlined diplomatic outreach to find a negotiated political settlement to the war in Yemen, including through the US Special Envoy to Yemen's recent engagements with regional partners, humanitarian aid organizations, the UN Special Envoy, and other stakeholders," the State Department added. Commenting on his talks with the Saudi foreign minister, Blinken tweeted, saying: "Spoke with @FaisalbinFarhan. Saudi Arabia is an important security partner. We won't stand by while the Houthis attack Saudi Arabia. We remain committed to bolstering Saudi Arabia's defenses and finding a political settlement to the conflict in Yemen." Earlier on Wednesday, in an official reaction, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki expressed the US' condemnation of the attack, noting that the Houthis with these attacks show a desire to prolong the Yemeni crisis. Last week, Saudi Arabia welcomed President Joe Biden's speech, in which he reiterated the US' commitment to cooperate with the Kingdom to defend its sovereignty and address the threats facing it. In his first foreign policy speech since taking office, Biden called for an end to the war in Yemen. "At the same time, we're going to continue to support and help Saudi Arabia defend its sovereignty and its territorial integrity and its people," Biden said, adding that the Kingdom continues to be targeted with missile attacks," Biden also said in his speech.
