Saudi Arabia is facing a sharper strategic squeeze after attacks backed by Iran-aligned forces hit the kingdom from multiple directions over the past two weeks, according to The New York Times. The report said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked Donald Trump last week to take military action against Yemen’s Houthi movement, but Trump declined. The situation has worsened with a Saudi oil tanker attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, leaving two crew members dead, while Houthi forces expanded operations in the Red Sea and defeated Yemeni government troops backed by Riyadh. At the same time, an Iran-backed Iraqi militia used drones to strike a key Saudi oil pipeline, forcing it to shut down. The pipeline had served as an important export alternative that allowed Saudi Arabia to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and ship oil through the Red Sea. Former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney said the kingdom is "really frustrated" and that events have, in some respects, become its "worst-case scenario."
Saudi Arabia is facing an increasingly severe strategic bind, according to a report by The New York Times cited by BlockBeats on Sept. 14.
Over the past two weeks, the kingdom has come under attack from Iran-backed armed groups from the east, south and north. The report said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked Donald Trump last week to take military action against Yemen’s Houthi movement, but Trump refused.
A Saudi oil tanker was recently attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, killing two crew members. Houthi forces have also expanded operations in the Red Sea and defeated Yemeni government troops supported by Saudi Arabia.
At the same time, an Iran-backed Iraqi militia carried out a drone strike on a key Saudi oil pipeline, forcing the line to shut down. The pipeline had been an important alternative route for Saudi oil exports to the Red Sea, allowing the kingdom to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney said the Saudis are "really frustrated" and that the situation has, in some respects, turned into their "worst-case scenario."
The report added that analysts believe Trump is unwilling to open a new front between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis while the United States remains in ongoing conflict with Iran and faces pressure on naval capacity and ammunition stockpiles. With military options constrained, Saudi Arabia may turn to diplomacy and seek new arrangements with Iran and other Gulf states, potentially with Chinese mediation again.
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