US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated on Friday his country’s support for the Saudi-led Arab coalition to restore legitimacy in Yemen. In a press briefing he declared: “If you truly care about Yemeni lives, you’d support the Saudi-led effort to prevent Yemen from turning into a puppet state of the corrupt, brutish Iran. “If we truly care about Saudi lives, you’d want to stop Iran-backed Houthis from launching missiles into Riyadh. “If you truly care about Arab lives in the region, you’d support allied efforts to prevent Iran from extending its authoritarian rule from Tehran to the Mediterranean Sea and on down to Yemen. “And if we truly care about American lives and livelihoods, and the lives and livelihoods of people all around the world, you’d understand that Iran and its proxies cannot be allowed to control the shipping lanes that abut Yemen.” Moreover, Pompeo remarked: “We’re deeply aware of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and we deplore it. The United States has given more than $2 billion to help the Yemeni people since the start of the conflict and Saudi Arabia has given over $500 million in 2018 alone and has pledged an additional $500 million this year. “Iran has provided zero dollars for humanitarian assistance.” “The way to alleviate the Yemeni people’s suffering isn’t to prolong the conflict by handicapping our partners in the fight, but by giving the Saudi-led coalition the support needed to defeat Iranian-backed militias and ensure a just peace.” “We hope that agreements can be implemented to de-escalate, but we must make sure that this crisis comes to an end,” stressed Pompeo, while revealing that he met on Thursday with UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths.