NEOM — US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin has thanked Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of Defense, for Saudi Arabia’s commitment to a political settlement in Yemen in a phone call early Friday. Austin reiterated the shared commitment of the US and Saudi Arabia to countering Iran’s destabilizing activities and defeating violent extremist organizations in the region. They also reviewed aspects of bilateral relations between the two countries and means of enhancing them, especially in the field of defense cooperation, In addition to discussing developments in regional events. The US secretary of defense reaffirmed the strategic defense partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia, underscoring the Kingdom’s role as a pillar of regional security and stability. The US defense secretary condemned the recent Houthi cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed the US" commitment to assisting Saudi Arabia in the defense of its borders.