US State Secy Blinken, Saudi FM hold discussions on Yemen war

Washington [US], February 7 : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud spoke over telephone on Saturday, where they discussed the war in Yemen after the US made a series of moves towards easing the humanitarian crises there, The Hill reported.
"Secretary Blinken and the Foreign Minister discussed regional security, counterterrorism, and cooperation to deter and defend against attacks on the Kingdom. The Secretary outlined several key priorities of the new administration including elevating human rights issues and ending the war in Yemen," said State Department spokesperson Ned Price in a statement.
According to The Hill, this conversation was the first between the two diplomats. Blinken's first call to a counterpart in the Gulf occurred on Thursday with the United Arab Emirates's (UAE) minister of foreign affairs.
The conversation with the Saudi minister comes as the US has introduced changes in its policy towards Yemen and the allied coalition led by Riyadh.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden said that he will end all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen.
"This war has to end and to underscore our commitment, we're ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arm sales," he said during an address at the State Department.
The US President further mentioned that the war in Yemen has created "humanitarian and strategic catastrophe", and called on United Nations (UN)-led initiatives to impose a ceasefire, open humanitarian challenges and restore long-dormant peace talks
Biden also promised to help defend Saudi Arabia from "missile attacks, UAV strikes, and other threats from Iranian supplied forces in multiple countries".