Riyadh restricted US attacks on Yemen from Saudi soil: Al-Monitor
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A report reveals the United States' desperate need for support from more Gulf countries to halt the operations of the Yemeni Armed Forces in the Red Sea.
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F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet takes off from the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower, also known as the 'IKE', in the south Red Sea, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
The Al-Monitor news website reported Wednesday that the administration of US President Joe Biden is seeking more support from Gulf countries in an attempt to halt Yemeni operations in the Red Sea.
According to the news website, this comes as Saudi Arabia has prevented the US military from launching strikes on Yemeni territory from American bases on Saudi soil, leaving a US Navy aircraft carrier responsible for the campaign in the Red Sea.
It is noteworthy that Riyadh has previously called for de-escalation in the Red Sea, pointing out that the Red Sea attacks are connected to the ongoing war in Gaza and emphasizing the need for an immediate ceasefire.
The New York Times (NYT) reported in late December 2023, that Saudi Arabia prefers to observe developments from the sidelines and aims to prioritize the potential for peace along its southern border with Yemen, over engaging in a US-led aggression in the region.
The NYT report argued that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is reportedly uninterested in being drawn back into a wide conflict with Yemen, as indicated by Saudi and American officials.
Israeli media also suggested that Saudi Arabia refused to join the US-led Red Sea coalition because it was seeking an agreement to end its war on Yemen completely and was also afraid of being attacked due to its collaboration with the hostile parties.
US struggling to halt Red Sea attacks despite strikes: Officials
In the same context, CNN reported, citing US officials, that the Biden administration is facing challenges in halting the ongoing operations of the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) in the Red Sea and the YAF is persistently reinforcing its weapons stockpile, despite US forces delivering multiple strikes against multiple targets in Yemen.
The report pointed out that US officials are struggling to devise an effective strategy against the YAF, as some within the Biden administration argue that relying solely on the use of force is proving ineffective.
Additionally, it is deemed expensive and impractical to continue launching multimillion-dollar missiles at relatively inexpensive YAF drones and rockets, CNN suggested.
The news website cited several officials as saying that the US lacks a clear assessment of the percentage of YAF equipment destroyed during strikes on Yemen, making it uncertain whether the military approach will undergo further changes.
"We just don’t have a good idea of what they [YAF] still have," a senior defense official told CNN, adding, "They continue to surprise us."
The CNN report also revealed that in some quarters of the Biden administration, there is a belief that the YAF might cease their operations if the Israeli occupation entity stops its aggression on the Gaza Strip.
