Rubio holds talks with Saudi foreign minister on Yemen and Hormuz shipping

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held talks with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, on cooperation in regional security, including shipping safety in the Strait of Hormuz and escalating hostilities with Yemen’s Houthis.

The talks in Washington on Monday came as the US-Israel war on Iran enters its eighth month, with diplomacy at a stalemate as mediators continue to pass messages between the parties.

The conflict has spilled into Yemen, where the Houthis, backed by Iran, have launched an offensive along the Red Sea coast and struck Saudi Arabia, including airports and oil infrastructure.

In a post on X, Rubio said he and Prince Faisal discussed “our bilateral cooperation in regional security and stability, including in Iran, Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen”.

The Saudi SPA state news agency reported that the two diplomats also addressed protecting “the security of navigation and freedom of passage” through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb strait off Yemen’s coast, and stressed continued diplomatic coordination on regional crises.

The meeting followed US media reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had sought US military help against the Houthis in Yemen. Washington declined to carry out strikes but agreed to provide intelligence and targeting support, the Reuters news agency reported, citing sources.

Rubio separately met Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who urged Washington to help put into effect a US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. Salam called for “practical steps and tangible results on the ground” leading to a full Israeli withdrawal and a timetable with a credible verification mechanism.

Sources

• Al Jazeera: Rubio, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister hold talks on Yemen, Hormuz Strait