Saudi Arabia issues safety warnings for Riyadh, other regions

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, two Israeli sources told ABC News, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at an air base in the south of the country.

The meeting lasted for several hours and included Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, the sources said. Both the Pentagon and Netanyahu's office declined to comment on the visit, which was first reported by Axios.

In a post to X on Monday night, Hegseth shared photos of a visit with troops in the Middle East, though did not disclose that he was undertaking a visit to Israel.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller and Luis Martinez

The British Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that it will "provide additional defensive military support" to Saudi Arabia amid escalating attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

In a statement, the ministry said its forces "will fly defensive counter air missions to support the protection of Saudi cities and critical national infrastructure against aerial attack, using RAF Typhoon fighter jets."

The jets will operate defensively and "will not conduct offensive strikes against the Houthis," the ministry said. The Typhoons will be supported by an A400M military transport aircraft and British military advisers, the statement said.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting described the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as "despicable," adding that the recent Houthi strikes on the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh "shows the lengths the Houthis are going to escalate the situation in the region."

-ABC News' Zoe Magee

Saudi military spokesperson Col. Turki Al-Maliki said in a post to X on Tuesday morning that Saudi forces intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward the capital city Riyadh.

President Donald Trump addressed the ongoing conflict with Iran at his rally in Kansas on Monday night.

Trump said the U.S. military is winning the conflict with Iran, suggesting that American action has prevented Tehran's acquisition of a nuclear weapon -- an alleged ambition that Iranian leaders have repeatedly denied.

"By the way, somebody said you could leave right now. It's true. We can leave right now. They're not going to have a nuclear weapon," Trump said, calling the Iranians a "rough group."

"We have the greatest military," Trump said. "We rebuilt it in my first term. And if you have any questions about that, just ask Venezuela or ask Iran."

-ABC News' Isabella Murray