Asiri discloses about US-Saudi deal against Houthis in Yemen‏

A top military general from Saudi Arabia says Riyadh has secured a commitment from the Trump administration to significantly increase U.S. intelligence sharing and defense cooperation against Iran-backed proxy militias and other Iranian meddling across the the Middle East, according to Washington Times .

Brig. Gen. Ahmed al-Asiri made the claim to a small group of reporters in Washington Friday, asserting that Defense Secretary James Mattis and other administration officials, who met with a Saudi delegation at the Pentagon last week, had vowed to “increase the cooperation” on a range of fronts to counter Iran.

The general, who is an adviser to Saudi Arabia’s defense minister and spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition currently battling Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, said the commitment would restore ties between Washington and Riyadh following a “hiccup” in the relations that occurred during the final months of the Obama administration.

His comments came on a week that saw President Trump host Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House — and roughly two weeks after the State Department approved a major weapons sale to Riyadh that President Obama had blocked last year.

The Saudis launched their military intervention in Yemen in 2015 with backing from a coalition of predominantly Arab powers, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and others.