The Pentagon said Tuesday it was working with Saudi Arabia to determine events surrounding the latest missile launch from Yemen, but it did not immediately point fingers at Iran.

Saudi Arabia earlier said it had shot down a ballistic missile over Riyadh that was fired from Yemen by Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

The rebels said they targeted the official residence of King Salman.

"The Department of Defense is aware of recent reports that Yemen-based Huthi forces launched a ballistic missile into Saudi Arabia and that the Huthis have taken responsibility for this attack," the Pentagon said in a statement.

It added that the US was working closely with Saudi Arabia "to fully understand what took place and to ensure that our Saudi partners have the resources they need to defend their territory against indiscriminate attacks against civilian-inhabited areas."

Saudi Arabia and the United States have previously accused Iran of supplying weapons to Yemen's rebels, and Riyadh described the latest missile as "Iranian-Huthi."

Last week, US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley presented what she called "undeniable" evidence that a missile fired at Riyadh's airport in November was "made in Iran."

But her comments went beyond the findings of a UN investigation which reached no firm conclusion on whether the missile came from an Iranian supplier, saying only that it had a "common origin" to some Iranian designs.

Iran has denied supplying ballistic missiles to the Huthis.

The Pentagon referred additional questions to the Saudi authorities.

Washington provides weapons, intelligence and aerial refueling for a Saudi-led coalition which for nearly three years has conducted air strikes against the Huthis, in support of Yemen's internationally-recognized government.

Coalition air strikes have faced repeated international criticism over civilian casualties.

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US, S. Korea, Japan start missile-tracking drill, irking China
Seoul (AFP) Dec 11, 2017
The US, South Korea and Japan carried out joint exercises Monday to track missiles from North Korea, as China warned that such manoeuvres fuel tensions following nuclear-armed Pyongyang's longest-range test launch to date. The trilateral drill comes less than two weeks after Pyongyang test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and declared it had achieved nuclear statehood, e ... read more

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