President Donald Trump said Iran-backed Houthis have asked the US to abstain from targeting the militant group, as a worsening clash with Saudi Arabia inflames tensions in the Middle East. “The Houthis called us, and they don’t want to fight with us,” Trump told reporters during a Saturday meeting in Dublin with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.“They don’t want us to go after them,” and “they would much prefer not having us involved,” he added.Trump’s comments come amid intensifying fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces, including attacks on energy facilities in the region and missile launches on southwestern Saudi Arabia.
US in a new bind
A drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline resulted in some injuries and damage that was being assessed, the Saudi foreign ministry said without detailing the impact on exports.US President Donald Trump, visiting Ireland to attend a golf tournament at one of his resorts, said Iran was probably to blame. “I think they are, probably they are,” Trump told reporters in Dublin when asked if Iran was responsible for the attack on the vital oil conduit.Washington now faces a dilemma over whether to help the Saudis fight the Houthis, risking further expansion of the war. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, phoned Trump on Thursday and asked for US military help fighting the Houthis, Reuters reported, citing three sources. They said the prince was told that Washington would not intervene directly for now but would help with intelligence. Trump confirmed on Saturday that he had spoken to the crown prince, and said the Houthis had also phoned his administration and asked Washington not to become directly involved in the conflict.Houthis said on Saturday that they had freed more than 200 of their members detained by Saudi-backed pro-govt forces in areas they captured in recent days. The Houthis had already controlled large parts of northern Yemen, including the major cities of Sanaa and Hodeida, before making dramatic advances last week.Iran describes the Houthis as an ally but publicly denies giving them military direction. Bloomberg, reuters
