Houthis Seize Red Sea Coast, Hit Riyadh With Missile as US Refuses to Defend Saudi Arabia

Houthis Seize Red Sea Coast, Hit Riyadh With Missile as US Refuses to Defend Saudi Arabia

Houthi rebels have captured large areas of Yemen's Red Sea coast and struck Saudi Arabia's capital with a missile, killing hundreds and displacing more than 100,000 people. The United States has refused Saudi requests for military help, leaving its longtime ally exposed.

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Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched a rapid offensive along the Red Sea coast, seizing large areas of Yemeni territory and striking Riyadh with a missile for the first time since the conflict restarted, the United States has warned [245705]. The fighting has killed hundreds of people, and more than 100,000 have been forced to leave their homes [248731].

The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, overran Yemeni forces that Saudi Arabia had helped arm and train, exposing the weakness of the kingdom's military strategy in the conflict [243743]. The rebels are now moving to choke off the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the narrow gateway between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, a route used by much of the world's shipping [243602].

Saudi Arabia asked the United States for help defending against the attacks, but Washington refused [246746]. The two countries are longstanding allies, and President Donald Trump and his family maintain close personal ties with Saudi leaders [246746]. The US has warned that the fighting could escalate quickly, yet it is clearly unwilling to intervene on Saudi Arabia's behalf [245707]. With no support from its American ally, Saudi Arabia now faces a difficult question about what its options are [245705].

The offensive has also opened a rift between the United States and Saudi Arabia, its key regional partner [248573]. The G7 nations have accused the Houthis of targeting civilian ships near Saudi Arabia and demanded that the attacks stop immediately [247352]. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he will offer "time-limited" and "defensive" military support to help stop the attacks [247352].

The conflict worries world governments because the Red Sea is one of the world's busiest shipping routes [248731].

Sources

Saudi Arabia Left Alone? Houthi Missile Hits Riyadh #245705Yemen's Houthi Rebels Seize Key Red Sea Coast, Sparking Global Alarm #248731Saudi Arabia’s Yemen Strategy Backfires as Houthis Overrun Trained Forces #243743Iran-backed Houthis threaten key Red Sea strait, deepening Trump's oil standoff #243602Saudi Arabia Left Exposed as US Denies Houthi Defense Aid #246746US won't defend Saudi Arabia? Houthi missile hits Riyadh #245707Trump’s Iran failure? Houthis drive wedge between US and Saudi ally #248573G7 to Houthis: Stop Attacks on Saudi Arabia Now #247352

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