RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) – The United States is speeding up the delivery of weapons to the Saudi-led coalition launching airstrikes against Shiite rebels in Yemen and is committed to defending Saudi Arabia, a senior American diplomat said.
Speaking Tuesday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken blamed the violence in Yemen on the rebels, known as Houthis, and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, saying that they have wrecked the country’s economy and institutions and created instability that al-Qaida seeks to exploit.
“We have expedited weapons deliveries, we have increased our intelligence sharing, and we have established a joint coordination and planning cell in the Saudi operations center,” he said in a statement to reporters after meeting with Saudi royals and Yemen’s President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled his country due to Houthi advances and is currently in Saudi Arabia.
Intelligence sharing includes making available raw aerial imagery the coalition could use to better strike anti-Hadi forces, said a U.S. defense official not authorized to comment publicly. Blinken said the U.S. and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council must coordinate closely and press all parties to seek a political solution.
The fighting in Yemen pits Hadi and his allies against the Houthis and military units loyal to Saleh. Shiite powerhouse Iran supports the Houthis but denies arming them.