Rubio Vows US Will Honor Defense Pacts with Saudi Arabia Amid Houthi Strikes

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed that the country will honor its defense commitments to Saudi Arabia in light of recent Houthi missile and drone strikes. The commitment is based on a strategic defense pact signed between the two countries in November 2025, which aims to strengthen deterrence in the Middle East and deepen military cooperation.

Rubio stated that Washington will live up to its commitments to Saudi Arabia, calling Riyadh a 'strategic partner' of the US. He emphasized that President Donald Trump has many options available to him but declined to discuss further military actions. Rubio also welcomed the restart of a key Saudi oil pipeline that was temporarily shut down due to attacks.

The Secretary of State blamed Iran for backing groups responsible for attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure in the region, including Iraqi Shiite militias. He described strikes on regional energy infrastructure as 'very disturbing' and stressed the importance of the affected infrastructure to both the Saudi economy and global trade.