Saudi FM arrives in Washington amid Houthi attacks

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Washington on Monday to engage in discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the Saudi state news agency. The talks come amid escalating tensions between Riyadh and Yemen's Houthis. The agenda for the meeting includes bilateral relations and major regional and global developments.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had previously sought US military assistance against the Iran-backed Houthis in recent months, but Washington declined to initiate airstrikes. However, the US did agree to provide intelligence and targeting support, sources have reported to Reuters. Prince Farhan's visit to the US follows the interception of two ballistic missiles and two drones by the Saudi-led coalition launched by the Houthis towards the kingdom.

The missiles were aimed at Khamis Mushait, while the drones were targeted towards Riyadh. The Saudi Civil Defense had issued alerts overnight for Khamis Mushait and Abha but not for Riyadh, the coalition reported on X/Twitter, without offering additional specifics.