US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday and emphasized US ‘commitment’ to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory and people, the Pentagon said.

Austin and Prince Mohammed discussed regional security, particularly efforts to end the war in Yemen, and “ongoing bilateral efforts to improve Saudi Arabia’s defenses,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia has been since March 2015 launching a brutal aggression on Yemen in a bid to restore power to its ally Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Source: Agencies