President Donald Trump previously said the Yemen-based movement had asked Washington not to intervene in its conflict with Riyadh
Saudi Arabia has turned to regional and global players for help defending its airspace against attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels after its main security provider, the US, declined to step in, The Associated Press has reported, citing regional officials. Riyadh is running low on missile interceptors, according to the outlet.
The armed conflict between a Saudi-led coalition and Houthi militants reignited in mid-July after Riyadh carried out airstrikes on the airport in Sanaa to prevent an Iranian passenger plane from landing there. In recent weeks, the Houthis have made significant territorial gains against Saudi-backed forces and have intensified attacks on strategic targets inside Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia is in a “very difficult position” because it must protect military bases, government facilities and also oil infrastructure from Houthi drones and missiles, one regional official told AP.
A second official said Riyadh was seeking to rally international allies for a collective response to the Houthis, but added that “the decision now is to give diplomacy a chance.” Oman and Egypt are leading de-escalation efforts, according to AP.
Saudi Arabia has asked France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt to deploy air-defense support to help protect it from missiles and drones, the news agency reported.
US President Donald Trump said last week that his administration had declined a Saudi request to intervene militarily in Yemen in order to keep channels open with the Houthis. Axios reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump twice to urge US strikes as Houthi forces advanced toward the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Last weekend, Oman hosted a meeting between US and Houthi representatives to discuss regional tensions, according to AP.
Watch RT’s report on the situation in Yemen, which has been suffering from a Saudi-imposed naval blockade for years.
The Houthis, who control much of western Yemen along the Red Sea coast, claimed this week that they had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet. They released a video showing wreckage that appeared to belong to a Royal Saudi Air Force aircraft.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s key East-West oil pipeline was also targeted by drones last week, forcing Riyadh to shut down the strategic route. Saudi authorities said the attack had originated in Iraq, while Iran-backed Iraqi militias denied responsibility. The pipeline allows Saudi crude exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and reach the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
The pipeline has become particularly important amid the US confrontation with Iran and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. The US has seen its own stocks of missile interceptors decline during the conflict with Iran, limiting its ability to supply additional interceptors to Saudi Arabia.
As part of its response to the Sanaa strikes, the Houthis announced restrictions on Red Sea traffic involving Saudi oil. Their subsequent advances along Yemen’s western coast and seizure of strategic territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have strengthened their ability to threaten shipping through the maritime chokepoint.
