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The cost of the US ‘no’ to the Saudis in the conflict against the Houthis
Tehran is using the Yemeni group to exacerbate the damage caused by the war and also to capitalise on this period of pre-election paralysis for Trump. The White House chief has reportedly decided not to intervene directly, despite Mohammed bin Salman’s request, thereby turning his back on an ally who will hold this refusal against him in the future.
Photo: Ansa
According to Axios, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly called U.S. President Donald Trump to request military intervention against the Houthis, but the U.S. leader reportedly declined. For the time being, Trump said, the United States has no intention of intervening directly, despite the Houthis having captured Mokha, a coastal city in Yemen, thereby securing a position that allows them to move closer to and pose an even greater threat to the Strait of Bab el Mandeb, a crucial chokepoint for global trade and, above all, for Saudi oil.
Following the group’s takeover, oil prices have soared, but Trump remains unmoved, despite it being clear that the Houthis are not acting alone, but are coordinating their moves with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which funds and arms them. Together, the Houthis and Tehran are holding the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb hostage, and the latter – whilst the Americans are trying to restore order in the former – is the new weapon with which to strike at Trump and his allies; at the start of the summer, the Saudis believed they could stop the Houthis on their own, but the situation has changed. The U.S. President is now focused on his mid-term elections, on electoral concessions, and on the Republican Party, which is also feeling the effects of his war against Iran – a conflict that American voters have not welcomed. Meanwhile, Tehran has decided to provoke him during this period of inaction, in which the United States has no interest in taking strong military action. They are using the Houthis to exacerbate the damage caused by the conflict and also to capitalise on this moment of Trumpian paralysis. Consequently, Trump is saying ‘no’ to the Saudis, turning his back on an ally who may make him pay for these refusals in the future, and showing the Iranians that their strategy is working. One of the White House leader’s problems is that he demands help from his allies but does not reciprocate.