Saudi Arabia is turning to Washington as fighting with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis intensifies amid the wider U.S.-Iran war. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan travelled to Washington after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought direct U.S. military action against the Houthis. Donald Trump reportedly prepared strikes before pulling back, wary of opening another war front. But Riyadh also has a new defence pact with Pakistan and Türkiye — raising questions over why Saudi Arabia still needs Washington. As pressure builds around both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, could another front push the region deeper into war?
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