Peloni: MBS is reaping the reward of having forced the UAE out of this conflict, literally with a BANG as it bombed the UAE war shipments. Simultaneously, Saudi Arabia has rebuffed any normalization with Israel which could also have aided Iran in its current moment of need. Instead, MBS has chosen to align itself with the Islamist states of Turkey and Pakistan. Notably the leadership in Riyadh is acting in support of the radicals on its streets, but they have boxed themselves into a situation in which they have lost all control of the military situation, and given that the Saudis have struggled to face off against the Houthis over the past decade with spectacular effect even with a coalition of outside parties, it should surprise no one that facing the Houthis alone has left it in a state of complete disaster as its erstwhile Mecca Agreement remains unsupported by actions of those nations who saw this agreement as a political device by which to try to isolate Israel in the region. Well, as the Houthis stand on shores of the strategic waterway of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, we have to ask who is it that is actually being isolated… MBS was a man of vision, and he has constructed many important reforms in his nation, but he did so while leading the nation from the front, rather than trailing from behind as he followed the orders of his Islamist inclined citizens. His state of hysteria and desperation is the culmination of his faltering to lead in support of the vision for which he once advocated. Such follies as this in the Middle East are rarely left unaddressed.
Trump reportedly orders military to maintain focus on Iran rather than open another front
| All Israel News | Published: September 11, 2026
The Yemeni Houthi terrorists continued their lightning advance along the Red Sea Coast, completing the capture of the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula as well as several islands, giving them complete control over the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The offensive came amid intense fighting against Saudi-backed troops of the internationally recognized Yemeni government over the past several weeks.
The Houthis’ advance was directed and supported by the Iranian regime, Reuters reported. Through its Houthi proxy, the regime now has significant control over another of the world’s most important waterways, besides the Hormuz Strait, giving it the leverage it needs to choke off Saudi Arabia’s oil exports and cause energy prices to skyrocket worldwide.
Crude oil prices rose by at least another 5% on Thursday, with the global benchmark, Brent crude, reaching $106 per barrel.
NEW: The Houthi offensive to capture territory near the Bab al Mandeb advances Iranian objectives under the current regional campaign that Iran is waging against the United States and its allies. Iran has recently pursued the following lines of effort under this regional… pic.twitter.com/TcLQriTIuL
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) September 11, 2026
In recent days, the Saudi-backed forces reportedly collapsed under the Houthi onslaught. This caused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) to send an urgent request to the U.S. for airstrikes against the Houthis, which the White House has rebuffed, according to the Axios news outlet.
MBS reportedly called U.S. President Donald Trump twice on Thursday, urging him to launch strikes. Houthi-affiliated media outlets reported dozens of Saudi airstrikes in recent days, though their number was apparently not enough to deter the terror group.
While the United States is concerned over the escalation and is increasing support for Saudi Arabia, Trump currently wants to avoid direct military involvement, the report said. Also on Thursday, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), traveled to the Saudi Kingdom to hold urgent coordination meetings, two sources told Axios.
After Houthi troops captured Mokha Port on Thursday, Yemeni government forces withdrew from the island of Perim on Friday. The withdrawal enabled the Houthis to take control of the island as well as the port of Dhubab, which lies directly adjacent to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This gave the Houthis full control of the Yemeni side of the key waterway, which provides access to the Red Sea.
According to Axios, Saudi Arabia at first signaled to Washington that it would handle the Houthis when fighting broke out again in July, after a long period of relative quiet.
However, the fighting steadily intensified and spilled over the Saudi border, causing the kingdom to seek U.S. help increasingly.
Sources told Axios that President Trump’s directive has been to keep the U.S. military focused on the Iranian regime rather than open another front in Yemen. A U.S. official said the military will support Saudi Arabia with intelligence and confirmed that 200 U.S. military personnel are already on the ground to give non-kinetic support.
“The United States is focused on protecting our core national security interests – such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea – while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges,” a senior Trump administration official said. “We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen Government regarding regional stability.”
Several regional players have expressed concern. In Israel, there was no official statement about the situation, though the Israeli military is monitoring the situation closely.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry reiterated the regime’s support for the Houthis in a statement: “Our position remains firm regarding the need to respect Yemen’s independence and end the illegal blockade of the country. We emphasize the need to immediately resume dialogue based on the agreed roadmap for Yemen.”
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, spoke with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan last night regarding “the escalation of tensions and the growing insecurity in the region,” according to the Foreign Ministry in Tehran, which said the two parties “emphasized the need to continue cooperation and diplomatic efforts to prevent the spread of tensions and reestablish stability.”
Araghchi also discussed the situation with Pakistani army chief Asim Munir, a Pakistani security official tells Reuters. Pakistan recently signed a tripartite defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, while maintaining close relations with the neighboring Iran.
Speaking to Ynet News, a representative of the Sunni Afar tribe – which has communities across the Horn of Africa, including Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti – stressed that the Houthis’ new neighbors along the strait are concerned as well.
“The developments could have direct consequences beyond Yemen, particularly for the Afar community in Eritrea, in the Dankalia region. Tribal fishermen depend on the Red Sea for their livelihoods and have longstanding fishing ties with Yemen’s coastline. The impact of the conflict in Yemen needs to be examined not only from the perspective of military and maritime security, but also in terms of livelihoods and the humanitarian consequences for fishing communities,” he warned.
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