President Donald Trump previously said the Yemen-based movement had asked Washington not to intervene in its conflict with Riyadh<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia has turned to regional and global players for help defending its airspace against attacks from Yemen\u2019s 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.
\nThe 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.
\nSaudi Arabia is in a \u201cvery difficult position\u201d because it must protect military bases, government facilities and also oil infrastructure from Houthi drones and missiles, one regional official told AP.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
A new strait crisis is brewing in the Red Sea<\/p>\n
A second official said Riyadh was seeking to rally international allies for a collective response to the Houthis, but added that \u201cthe decision now is to give diplomacy a chance.\u201d Oman and Egypt are leading de-escalation efforts, according to AP.
\nSaudi 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.
\nUS 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.
\nLast weekend, Oman hosted a meeting between US and Houthi representatives to discuss regional tensions, according to AP.
\nWatch RT\u2019s report on the situation in Yemen, which has been suffering from a Saudi-imposed naval blockade for years.<\/p>\n
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.
\nMeanwhile, Saudi Arabia\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Trump blames fuel price spike on Zelensky<\/p>\n
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.
\nAs part of its response to the Sanaa strikes, the Houthis announced restrictions on Red Sea traffic involving Saudi oil. Their subsequent advances along Yemen\u2019s western coast and seizure of strategic territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have strengthened their ability to threaten shipping through the maritime chokepoint.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38348,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38347","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t