WASHINGTON: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Washington will uphold its obligations under the defense agreement with Saudi Arabia as regional tensions intensify and Houthi attacks continue against the kingdom.
Asked whether President Donald Trump was prepared to consider additional action against the Houthis, Rubio said the United States had a strong defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and intended to honor it.
Rubio did not identify the military options available to Trump, but reiterated that Saudi Arabia is a strategic defense partner of the United States.
“The United States has made commitments to Saudi Arabia, and we intend to honor them,” Rubio said. He added that Washington was already fulfilling its obligations and that Trump had “many options at his disposal.”
The remarks came amid growing security concerns in Saudi Arabia following several missile and drone attacks attributed to the Houthis in recent weeks.
Saudi Arabia and the United States signed the Strategic Defence Agreement during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington in November 2025, reinforcing the two countries’ eight-decade defense partnership.
At the time, the White House said the agreement was designed to strengthen deterrence across the Middle East and expand military cooperation between Washington and Riyadh. Trump also designated Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally during the visit.
Rubio said Washington was closely monitoring the latest attacks on Saudi Arabia and described strikes against regional energy infrastructure as “highly concerning.”
He welcomed the reopening of a Saudi oil pipeline that had been temporarily shut after attacks earlier in the month, emphasizing that the infrastructure is vital not only to Saudi Arabia’s economy but also to the global economy.
Rubio also accused Iran of supporting groups responsible for attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure throughout the region.
“The Iranian regime actively supports organizations in the Middle East that target infrastructure, including energy facilities and civilians,” he said.
He added that Tehran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq were likely involved in recent attacks on energy infrastructure.