Shafaq News- Washington

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that the US would honor its bilateral security commitments to Saudi Arabia amid renewed fighting between Yemeni government forces and Iran-aligned Houthis.

“The United States has a defense and security agreement with Saudi Arabia, and we intend to live by it,” Rubio told a press conference in Washington, adding that Saudi Arabia had “a right to defend itself” against continued Houthi attacks.

The fighting has intensified around the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, a critical shipping corridor linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

“What is happening now in Yemen is a counterattack against Houthi aggression,” Rubio said.

Yemeni government forces said they had taken control of the city of Mokha in western Taiz Province and launched attacks on Houthi positions in the Dhubab district overlooking the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

A US official told Al Jazeera that Washington was providing Saudi Arabia with support to counter Houthi attacks, including planning assistance, intelligence sharing and aerial refueling.

The official said Saudi Arabia was using US aerial refueling capabilities to defend its airspace and support forces opposing the Houthis.

Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi announced the launch of an operation called “Dawn of Yemen” to restore state institutions, “liberate the capital Sanaa and end the coup of the terrorist Houthi militias.”