Biden announces end to support of Saudi-led offensive operations in Yemen

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President Biden announced Thursday that the U.S. will end its support for Saudi-led offensive operations in Yemen against Houthi rebels, as part of a new foreign policy outlook by the new administration.

"This war has to end, and to underscore our commitment we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arm sales," Biden said.

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Earlier, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan pointed to the stopping of two arms sales of precision-guided munitions that were moving forward under the last administration as an example.

Biden noted the Saudis are attacked by weapons and UAVs from "Iranian-supplied forces in multiple countries" and promised to support the Saudis in defending their sovereignty and people.

He also pledged his support for U.N. initiatives to apply a cease-fire, ensure humanitarian aid, and restore peace talks between the two sides.

The civil war, which has been ongoing since 2015, has led to the deaths of 112,000 people and has obliterated the country’s infrastructure. U.N. estimates say 13.5 million Yemenis face food insecurity.

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Biden also announced Timothy Lenderking, a career foreign service member who has served in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as a special envoy to Yemen.

The actions are part of a number of moves related to foreign policy announced by Biden in the speech from the State Department. He also promised to raise U.S. admissions of refugees, and said the Penatagon would be conducting a global posture review of U.S. forces -- which includes a pause on the withdrawal of troops from Germany.

He said his administration would "course correct our foreign policy and better unite our democratic values with our diplomatic leadership."

"America cannot afford to absent any longer from the world stage," he said.

The Yemen civil war began in 2015 when Saudi began the offensive against the Houthis, who had seized territory and launched missiles across the border into Saudi Arabia. 

The U.S. has, until recently, backed the Saudis in the conflict and Trump-era Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had imposed sanctions on the Houthis in the final days of the administration, designating them a "foreign terrorist organization" (FTO). That move was part of the administration’s efforts to isolate Iran and also support the Saudis in the region.

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However, since taking office, the Biden administration has suspended some of the sanctions attached to that designation until Feb. 26 -- although it hasn’t yet reversed the designation. A U.N. report warned that the designation of the Houthis as an FTO could harm aid and food deliveries into the country, hurting the peace process and exacerbating malnutrition.

That report by a panel of experts painted a grim situation of the crisis.

"The situation in Yemen has continued to deteriorate, with devastating consequences for the civilian population," it said.

It accuses all parties involved of "continuous and widespread human rights and international law violations with impunity; and escalations in fighting and its impact on civilians, including displacements."

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"All parties continue to commit egregious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including indiscriminate attacks against civilians, enforced disappearances and torture," the report says.

The report also said "there is a growing body of evidence that shows that individuals or entities within the Islamic Republic of Iran are engaged in sending weapons and weapons components to the Houthis" in violation of U.N. resolutions.

Fox News’ Ben Evansky contributed to this report, as well as The Associated Press.