Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt: The foreign ministers of Egypt and Kuwait said Thursday it was necessary to intervene in Yemen after Houthi rebels threatened the southern port of Aden, at a meeting ahead of an Arab summit.

Both countries had expressed support for Saudi-led air strikes overnight against the Iran-backed rebels.

The Houthi offensive “obliged all of us to quickly respond and take the required measures to restore peace and security,” Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah said.

His Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry said “it was necessary for a coalition of Arab states to answer the call of the Yemeni president,” referring to a demand from President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi for military intervention.

Sabah called for a resumption of negotiations in the troubled country that has been mired in a complex conflict involving pro-Hadi forces, the Shiite Houthi rebels, Sunni tribesmen, Al-Qaeda and forces loyal to ousted strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The foreign ministers’ meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh came head of a summit over the weekend in which Arab League members will consider forming a joint military force.