❗️Riyadh and Washington coordinate military strategy as retaliatory strikes target Saudi infrastructure Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman held a telephone conference with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to discuss bilateral defense cooperation and ongoing regional de-escalation efforts following retaliatory operations launched by Yemen's Armed Forces against Saudi Arabia, according to the Saudi Press Agency. The high-level military dialogue comes as the expanding US-Israeli war on Iran spills across regional battlefronts, triggering renewed Yemeni missile and drone strikes against strategic Saudi targets, including major international airports and key oil infrastructure. Yemeni Armed Forces have simultaneously maintained a naval blockade and expanded offensive operations along the Red Sea coastline. Despite public calls for de-escalation, reporting from US media indicates that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman previously requested direct US military intervention to counter Yemeni strikes. While Washington declined to execute direct airstrikes on behalf of Riyadh, the Pentagon agreed to expand actionable intelligence sharing and target identification support to bolster Saudi operations.