Washington DC - President Donald Trump has nominated Republican Congressman Wesley Hunt, a US Army veteran, as his new ambassador to Saudi Arabia – a post that had been left vacant amid the war with Iran.

Hunt's nomination was sent Monday to the US Senate, which must vote on his confirmation.

"It is the honor of a lifetime to accept President Trump’s nomination to serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," Hunt said in a post on X.

"Having served in the region both in combat as an Army officer and for two years as a diplomatic liaison in the Kingdom, I understand the strategic importance of the partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia and the profound responsibility of this position," he added.

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The nomination comes after fresh attacks by Yemen's Houthis on Saudi soil opened a new front in the Middle East conflict.

The group – fighting the Saudi-backed government in Yemen – last week seized control of Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which has become vital as the wider US-Iran war chokes the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis have also targeted oil installations in Saudi Arabia, the world's top exporter of crude, sending oil prices above the symbolic threshold of $100 a barrel.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had recently asked Trump to order strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, but the president refused, Axios reported.