Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), in two phone calls Thursday, urged President Donald Trump to launch strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, Axios reported Friday. Trump is reported to have declined, though the commander of U.S. Central Command traveled to Saudi Arabia Thursday for meetings.
Trump told reporters Saturday that the Houthis “called us, and they don’t want to fight with us.” The president confirmed the conversation with “good friend” MBS but gave no indication of urgency. “I can just say everything’s going to work out fine and dandy,” he added. “It’s going to be very good.”
The Houthis in recent days seized strategic territory closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a key chokepoint for global trade including energy. As Iran continues to restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, control of the Bab al-Mandab by an allied militant group would bolster its leverage. The Houthis have declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia and sought to disrupt its oil shipments through the waterway.
Compounding the Kingdom’s problems, the Saudi Energy Ministry shut down its East-West oil pipeline after drone attacks launched from Iraq Thursday. As the U.S. and Iran battle over the Hormuz strait, the Saudis have increasingly relied on the pipeline to move oil exports.
Gulf Arab states are expected to meet with Iran in Oman on Monday to discuss the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Friday the meeting will “promote better understanding among the countries of the region and help strengthen shared regional security.”
In a Friday ceremony commemorating the anniversary of 9/11, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth connected the terror attacks to the ongoing Iran War, saying the “struggle against evil” continues.
“We are ensuring that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Hegseth said. “The economic pressure tightens every day. We control the Strait [of Hormuz]. We will finish this fight.”
The average price of gasoline in America was $4.31 per gallon Saturday, up from $2.98 before the war.
Read the full article here
