Spokesman for the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) John Kirby announced that his country has stopped support for military operations in Yemen, after US President Joe Biden issued directives to work to end the war there.
"Based on the president’s order yesterday, what the Defense Ministry was providing in terms of limited non-combat support for coalition operations, including intelligence and some consultations, has all been terminated," Kirby said in a press briefing on Friday.
"But Saudi Arabia remains a partner in fighting terrorism in the region," he said.
In other statements singled out by Al-Jazeera, Kirby said that the Ministry of Defense remains committed to helping Saudi Arabia and its Gulf partners defend their borders in light of what he called threats from Yemen and other opponents in the region.
He pointed out that Biden announced the appointment of diplomat Timothy Lenderking as a special US envoy to Yemen, at a time when the United States is intensifying its diplomatic efforts to end the war there.
He said that the US administration is reviewing the best ways to implement the goals announced by Biden by working to end the war in Yemen and stop support for hostilities and related arms sales deals.
The "anti-terrorism" exception
Kirby made it clear that Biden’s directives do not apply to support for counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda and ISIS in Yemen.
He said that the primary goal of the United States in Yemen is to defend American citizens and its allies and partners through counterterrorism operations.
On Thursday, President Biden announced, in his first foreign policy speech, the cessation of all military support for the war in Yemen.
At the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said that this war "must end," but stressed at the same time that his country would continue to support Saudi Arabia "and assist it in defending its sovereignty and lands."
Yemen has been witnessing a war for nearly 7 years, which has claimed the lives of more than 233,000 people, and 80% of the population - about 30 million people - have become dependent on aid to survive in the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations.