US President Barack Obama spoke over phone to Saudi King Salman bin Abdel Aziz on Friday, and expressed his support for airstrikes launched by the Saudi-led Arab coalition on Houthi targets in Yemen, the White House revealed in a statement.
Obama "reaffirmed the strong friendship between the United States and Saudi Arabia and emphasized the United States' support for the action taken by Saudi Arabia, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members, and others in response to President Abdrabouh Hadi's request and in support of the legitimate government of Yemen," the White House said.
He further underscored "our commitment to Saudi Arabia's security," and both Obama and King Salman agreed that "our collective goal is to achieve lasting stability in Yemen through a negotiated political solution facilitated by the United Nations and involving all parties as envisioned in the GCC Initiative," the statement affirmed.