WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Yemen's Houthi group of resuming attacks on Saudi Arabia and deliberately seeking to drive up oil prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections.
"The Houthis are behaving very badly," Trump wrote on Truth Social, warning that he would "never forget" the attacks.
Following a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, speculation is mounting over whether the United States will enter the fray militarily.
ALLY BUT NOT WAR PARTNER
The Trump administration has so far stopped short of joining Saudi Arabia's direct military campaign against the Houthis, despite Riyadh's calls for greater U.S. involvement. Multiple U.S. media outlets reported in September that Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud urged Trump to order U.S. strikes against the Houthis, but Trump declined, opting instead for intelligence sharing and targeting assistance.
The exchanges reflect the limits of the U.S.-Saudi security alignment. Although Washington has a longstanding interest in Saudi security, it does not automatically share Riyadh's military objectives in Yemen. For the United States, protecting its ally and safeguarding regional shipping routes do not necessarily require directly taking part in Saudi offensive operations.
Ali Bin Hadi, an Aden-based military observer, told Xinhua that he saw "little appetite in Washington for another confrontation with the Houthis" after previously seeking to disengage from that front. "Washington may help contain the fire, but it is unlikely to step into it," he said.
Jarrah Mutlaq Al-Qazaa, media adviser at the Kuwait Journalists Association, said that continued escalation could alter Washington's calculation. He said the likelihood of direct U.S. military involvement would depend largely on whether Houthi attacks continue to cause heavy casualties, the extent to which Riyadh seeks U.S. participation, and whether Washington sees scope for limited strikes capable of restoring deterrence without drawing it into a prolonged war.
Trump's remarks on Tuesday offered a further indication of his approach. He told reporters he might ask Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to intervene in support of Saudi interests. "President Erdogan, I think, would do as I ask," Trump said. The comment reflects Washington's apparent preference for greater involvement from regional partners rather than committing U.S. forces directly.
DEPLETED MUNITIONS LIMIT OPTIONS
One reason Washington may be reluctant to launch military strikes against the Houthis is its depleted weapons stockpiles after months of operations against Iran, during which it has used substantial numbers of missile interceptors to defend its bases and allies. This depletion has not only left Gulf partners, Saudi Arabia in particular, increasingly vulnerable, but also constrained its options in pondering any direct military intervention against the Houthis.
The Congressional Research Service, in a report updated on Oct. 5, noted concerns over the stockpiles and availability of U.S. munitions, including missiles and interceptors, following the U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran that began in late February. The report warned that depleted stockpiles could narrow Washington's options for sustaining operations and supporting its allies.
Citing a Congressional Budget Office estimate, the report said the United States had "probably used between one-half and two-thirds" of its inventory of certain missile interceptors. Such weapons are critical to protecting U.S. forces and regional allies against missile attacks, while replenishing stocks could take considerable time.
Farzan Sabet, a Middle East expert at the Geneva Graduate Institute, was quoted by Reuters as saying that Saudi Arabia's air defense capabilities and integrated defense network remained less advanced than those of Israel or Ukraine. He added that Saudi Arabia's sheer size makes defense against air attacks harder than defending Israel or any single U.S. base.
The challenge is also compounded by the Houthis' evolving military capabilities. The group has developed greater capacity to assemble and deploy drones and missiles, while years of fighting have given it experience in adapting its tactics.
OIL PRICES RAISE POLITICAL STAKES
The conflict also carries domestic political risks for Trump as the United States approaches its Nov. 3 midterm elections.
On Tuesday, Trump accused the Houthis of "purposefully trying to drive up Oil Prices, probably prior to the U.S. Elections." He warned: "I'll be there after the Elections, and I will never forget!"
His remarks linked the security crisis to a domestic concern that could weigh on voter views of his administration.
The economic pressure is already evident. U.S. Consumer Price Index rose 3.7 percent in September compared with a year ago, while gas prices jumped 9.1 percent from the previous month, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
And rising fuel costs driven by the conflict in Iran have piled pressure on Americans ahead of the midterm elections.
A Pew Research Center survey released Oct. 8 found that 74 percent of Americans were "very concerned" about gasoline and energy prices, up from 60 percent in July. Separately, 84 percent of registered voters said the economy was "very important" to their vote in the Nov. 3 mid-term elections. The findings suggest that any further rise in fuel prices could add to voters' economic concerns as they assess the administration's performance.
Against this backdrop, energy prices have become an increasingly prominent concern for the Trump administration. ■
