Washington on Friday said it was cutting the number of troops and air defense units deployed to the Middle East, including Patriot batteries and an anti-missile system, called THAAD, from Saudi Arabia.
A downsizing of US military assets in Saudi Arabia will not affect its defense capabilities, the Riyadh-led coalition said Sunday, after it intercepted the largest number of Yemeni rebel drones in a single day.
"This will not affect the Saudi air defenses," coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki told reporters.
"We have a strong understanding with... our allies about the threat in the region. We do have the capability to defend our country."
Saudi air defenses intercepted a total of 17 Huthi drones on Saturday, the highest in a single day since the conflict began, Maliki said.
Saudi Arabia, which has led a military coalition against Yemen's Huthis since 2015, relies heavily on US-made Patriots. However, Greece said it will lend a Patriot battery to Saudi Arabia to protect its critical energy infrastructure.
Saudi air defenses intercepted a total of 17 Huthi drones on Saturday, the highest in a single day since the conflict began.
Earlier this month, a bomb-laden drone launched by the Houthis crashed into a girls’ school in southern Asir province,
no injuries were reported in the strike.
The Houthis' escalation comes despite the diplomatic push by the United Nations, the United States and regional countries to secure a ceasefire in Yemen.
Experts believe that the US drawdown comes as President Joe Biden’s administration seeks to ease tensions with Iran.
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