Riyadh and Washington discuss preserving freedom of navigation and eliminating Houthi capabilities.

The Pentagon said Monday that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held a phone call with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Khalid bin Salman, to discuss progress in joint operations to degrade the capabilities of the Houthi group, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization.

The Pentagon said in a statement that the talks focused on the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, as well as ways to strengthen the defense partnership between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

For his part, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman confirmed in a tweet on Twitter that the talks addressed bilateral defense relations between the two countries, in addition to discussing regional developments.

He explained that the talks covered the efforts of both friendly countries to enhance security and stability in the region and the world, with a focus on issues of common interest.