Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met in Washington D.C. yesterday to discuss the ongoing war in Yemen and other U.S.-Saudi defense related topics.
“On Yemen, the Secretary reiterated U.S. support for a negotiated resolution between the Republic of Yemen government and the Southern Transitional Council, and thanked the minister for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to mediate the dispute,” the State Department said in a statement.
“The Secretary and the minister agreed that dialogue represents the only way to achieve a stable, unified, and prosperous Yemen. The Secretary and the minister also discussed a broad range of bilateral and regional issues, including the need for stronger maritime security in order to promote freedom of navigation, the Iranian regime’s destabilizing activities in the region, and human rights,” State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus said.
The meeting between Prince Khalid bin Salman, who served previously as Saudi Ambassador to the United States, comes shortly after Pompeo spoke by phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss Yemen.
Clashes resumed in Aden on Wednesday between the Yemeni government and Southern Transitional Council forces. Yemen’s Houthi rebels were also reportedly behind another missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abha Airport, which caused no casualties.
