The US reiterated its support for Saudi Arabia defending its territory and facing down threats from the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen.

John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, called on the Houthis to stop their cross-border attacks on the Kingdom and work to achieve a political solution to the crisis in Yemen.

The Houthi militia have stepped up attacks on the Kingdom in recent weeks, targeting populated areas and vital and oil installations, threatening global energy security.

The US administration also realizes that Iran continues to pose a threat to its neighbors and to US national security interests in the region, Kirby said in a press conference on Thursday evening.

He added that the Iranian ballistic missile program still exists, that the Iranian regime’s continued support of terrorist groups in the region is a problem and that it had accelerated in many ways, which threatened US interests and the interests of its allies in the region.