Blinken, Saudi counterpart, discusses Yemen during the first phone call News Highlights: Blinken, Saudi counterpart, discusses Yemen during the first phone call . Secretary of State Antony Blinken Antony BlinkenBlinken makes first call with Chinese counterpart US plans to withdraw terrorist designation for Houthi rebels Blinken answers the phone to form alliances – except with most Gulf states. Yemen in a phone call Saturday after the US took a series of measures to mitigate the humanitarian crisis there. “Secretary Blinken and the Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed regional security, counterterrorism and cooperation to deter and defend attacks on the Kingdom. The secretary outlined a number of key priorities of the new government, including lifting human rights issues and ending the war in Yemen, ”State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.