The United States National Security Council’s Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk, reportedly traveled to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The statement was issued by the White House National Security Council Spokesperson Emily Horne on Thursday.
During his visits, McGurk highlighted that the US would continue to support for “the territorial defense of both countries against Iranian-enabled missile and UAV attacks.”
The US high-level security official’s visit came amid increasing Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group’s attacks towards Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Reiterating US President Biden’s commitment to providing support for the defense of US’ Gulf partners, McGurk came together with authorities in both countries to review ongoing efforts as well as discuss ways of combating the Houthi threat.
Spokesperson Horne also stated that McGurk stressed “the need to combine pressure on the Houthis in Yemen with a concerted UN-led effort to end the war there.”
Accompanied by the US State Department Special Envoy for Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein, McGurk also reviewed “a collaborative approach to managing potential market pressures stemming from a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine” during his talks in Saudi Arabia, the statement added.
