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Frustration grows as Houthis widen Middle East conflict with US unwilling to intervene
Yahoo • • world
Key Points:
- The Iran-backed Houthis have recently made significant advances, including seizing a strategic Red Sea island, worsening the regional instability and global energy crisis, while the US and Saudi Arabia lack a clear strategy to counter them effectively.
- Despite increased US intelligence and targeting support, Saudi Arabia has struggled to halt Houthi gains, raising doubts among Gulf and American officials about Riyadh's ability to manage the threat alone.
- The Trump administration has ruled out direct US military strikes against the Houthis, relying instead on Saudi Arabia to lead the offensive, though Saudi requests for US strikes have been declined.
- The Houthis have escalated attacks, including missile and drone strikes targeting Riyadh and key Saudi infrastructure, heightening security concerns as Saudi air defenses intercept some attacks amid dwindling missile interceptors.
- Regional experts and diplomats emphasize the deep Iranian support for the Houthis and suggest that resolving the conflict requires addressing the broader Iran proxy dynamics, with skepticism about a purely military solution and calls for clearer US commitment.
