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President Donald Trump said on July 27 that he is dealing with Saudi Arabia over the recent escalation with the Houthis (Ansar Allah), warning that the United States may “probably have to get involved” if “they’re a problem”.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump noted that the U.S. struck the Houthis some time ago and that “we didn’t have any problem with them after that”.
Tensions have been mounting since the Houthis said on July 20 that they were imposing a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in response to its siege on Yemen.
Three days later, the group fired on two Saudi oil tankers, setting one ablaze. And overnight into July 25, the two sides exchanged strikes, with the Houthis hitting a large refinery in the southern Saudi province of Jizan. The next day, a Saudi drone was shot down by the group over the northern Yemeni province of al-Jawf.
Trump’s latest warning came just hours after the Houthis claimed responsibility for a drone attack that devastated one of Saudi Arabia’s largest oil processing facilities. The kingdom, however, blamed Iran-backed armed factions in Iraq for the attack on the Abqaiq facility in the Eastern Province. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella group for the said factions, rejects the accusation.
Last year, the U.S. launched a major operation against the Houthis over their blockade of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait —the waterway between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean— in response to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. The confrontation ended with a ceasefire that was widely seen as a victory for the Houthis, who kept their blockade in place until a ceasefire was announced in the Palestinian enclave.
Trump last week threatened Iran that it would be held responsible if the Houthis in Yemen continue to target Saudi shipping.
“A year ago the United States of America attacked, very powerfully, the Houthis, for their interference with commerce and trade, by shooting at ships,” wrote Trump on Truth Social on July 24. “Since that time, and during our conflict with Iran, they have acted very responsibly.”
“Unfortunately, now they are starting up again, shooting at two Saudi Arabian ships last night,” he continued. “Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if they do this again, the US will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves.”
The chances of the U.S. getting involved against the Houthis again are high. However, the outcome is unlikely to be any different unless a ground offensive is launched against the Houthis by Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces along with a renewed aerial campaign.
Still, such a scenario could be extremely costly for Saudi Arabia. The Houthis are guaranteed to strike back at the kingdom’s energy sector. Their allies, including the IRI and Iran, could join the fight. And as evidenced by the latest attack on Abqaiq, much damage can be done.
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