Houthi Forces Attack Saudi Base and Capture Phelin Island, Yemen Situation Escalates Leaving the U.S. in a Dilemma

[Global Times Report, Reporter Zhou Yang] According to a report by the British "Guardian" on the 13th, the Houthi armed group in Yemen stated that it used drones and missiles to attack a military base in southern Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the fighting between the Houthi armed group and the Yemeni government forces has intensified again. Reuters analysis indicates that the ongoing escalation in Yemen is putting the United States in a new predicament.

Recently, the Houthi armed group rapidly moved south along the Yemeni coast, capturing the strategic location of Pihlin Island in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait on the 11th, further enhancing its ability to blockade the strait and threaten international shipping. The American Axios news website reported that Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed recently made two phone calls to U.S. President Trump, requesting the U.S. to launch attacks against the Houthi armed group and provide military assistance to Saudi Arabia.

Sources revealed that the U.S. side refused to directly intervene in the conflict but was willing to provide intelligence support. Trump confirmed on the 12th that he had spoken with Mohammed. He also stated that the Houthi armed group had contacted the U.S. government, hoping that the U.S. would not directly get involved in the conflict.

Reuters stated that the latest actions of the Houthi armed group have posed new challenges to the U.S. pressure plan against Iran. The U.S. government previously hoped to force Iran to make concessions through economic means, avoiding an escalation of military conflict to prevent a severe impact on domestic energy prices. However, the actions of the Houthi armed group have disrupted this deployment. The U.S. is thus caught in a dilemma: if it sends troops to contain the Houthi armed group, it will need to deploy a large amount of naval and air power and may also face missile attacks from the Houthi armed group; if it does not directly intervene, Saudi Arabia and its allies will have to rely mainly on their own forces to deal with the Houthi armed group.