Left adrift by allies and events, Gulf states soften stance on Iran
As they lose faith in the US, the Saudis and Emiratis are looking to fend for themselves by forging new relationships.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Iran-aligned Houthi fighters firing at Saudi-backed forces in this screengrab from a video released by Houthi Military Media.
PHOTO: REUTERS
As Houthi forces swept over Yemen’s Red Sea coast earlier in September, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman twice called President Donald Trump and pressed him to launch US strikes. What he got in return was not the direct military support he sought but an offer of shared intelligence and targeting data.
At the same time, drones apparently launched from Iraq struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, forcing it to be shut down.