US military commander meets with Saudi, Yemeni military officials

The head of the US military's central command (Centcom), General Michael Kurilla, met with General Fayyadh bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, the chief of general staff of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, during a visit to Saudi Arabia.

“The meeting underscored the enduring strategic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia, which remains a key partner in maintaining regional security, stability, and peace and prosperity for the region,” Centcom said in a statement on Sunday.

Kurilla also met with Saghir Hamood Bin Aziz, head of the armed forces for the Saudi-backed government in Yemen, which has been fighting the Houthis for more than a decade.

“The leaders discussed efforts to strengthen security cooperation and combat regional threats, such as Iranian-backed Houthis and their attacks against military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Bab Al Mandeb,” the statement said.

The US and the UK are currently fighting the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, after the Yemeni group began targeting Israeli-linked commercial ships in the Red Sea. Ansar Allah has vowed to continue these attacks until a ceasefire in Gaza is achieved.