Yemen Monitor/Newsroom
US CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla visited Saudi Arabia where he met with military leaders and senior US diplomats to discuss developments in the region, primarily the Houthi maritime attacks.
A statement from US CENTCOM said Kurilla “met with US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney and US Ambassador to Yemen Stephen Fagin,” noting that the meeting discussed “current security challenges in the region, with a particular focus on Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”
He also discussed with Saudi Chief of Staff General Fayyadh bin Hamid Al-Ruwaili and other senior Saudi military leaders “shared regional security concerns, the humanitarian assistance situation in Gaza, and further opportunities for partnership in defense technology innovation.”
The statement quoted Kurilla as saying that “the Royal Saudi Armed Forces are a critical security partner in the region.”
Since last November, the Houthis have continued their attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In response, the US and Britain have launched attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen and re-designated the group as a terrorist organization in response to their attacks on commercial ships.
On Thursday, Allianz Commercial insurance said the Houthis had attacked more than 50 commercial ships in the Red Sea between November 19 and the end of last April.
Meanwhile, the Houthi leader said on Thursday that his group had targeted 112 Israeli, American and British ships since launching its operations in support of Gaza in November 2023.
