Saudi Arabia seeking support after US declines to strike Houthis – AP

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 defending its airspace against attacks from Yemen’s 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.

The 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.

Saudi Arabia is in a “very difficult position” because it must protect military bases, government facilities and also oil infrastructure from Houthi drones and missiles, one regional official told AP.

Read more A new strait crisis is brewing in the Red Sea A second official said Riyadh was seeking to rally international allies for a collective response to the Houthis, but added that “the decision now is to give diplomacy a chance.” Oman and Egypt are leading de-escalation efforts, according to AP.

Saudi 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.

US 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.

Last weekend, Oman hosted a meeting between US and Houthi representatives to discuss regional tensions, according to AP.

Watch RT’s report on the situation in Yemen, which has been suffering from a Saudi-imposed naval blockade for years.

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.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s key East-West oil pipeline was also targeted by drones last week, forcing Riyadh to shut down the strategic route.