Houthi attacks leave Trump with "a difficult dilemma"
President Trump has so far declined to get the U.S. military embroiled in Yemen's civil war, but Iran's Houthi allies may force his hand.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have escalated the Middle East conflict, killing at least 20 people, including an American, and injuring hundreds in recent attacks on Saudi Arabia's airports. President Trump faces a difficult dilemma: whether to order U.S. military action to support Saudi Arabia, a key ally, or avoid entrenching the U.S. further in the conflict.
Trump, who campaigned on ending wars, may be reluctant to open a new U.S. front in the ongoing conflict, especially less than a month before the U.S. midterm elections. The killing of an American citizen in the recent attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport could pressure Trump to retaliate, but there is no guarantee it will force him to take military action.
The U.S. decision will likely depend on its broader assessment of the risks of further escalation, including the potential impact on oil prices and the perception of reliability as an ally for Saudi Arabia.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
