Trump Meets Gulf Allies as Iran, Yemen Wars Widen — SkimNews
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- Gulf Arab states have reassessed their reliance on US forces after Iranian missiles and drone attacks battered American military sites across the region, including a US naval base in Bahrain.
- Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has choked energy exports for Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE, forcing Saudi Arabia to divert oil shipments through the Red Sea.
- The Houthis opened a second front in Yemen, striking Riyadh with missiles and drones on Saturday and capturing territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait that Saudi Arabia now relies on for oil exports.
- Trump has repeatedly claimed an Iran deal is close, but no agreement has materialized despite a May appeal from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar that led him to call off a planned major strike.
- Several Gulf Arab leaders have forged personal and business ties with Trump's family, who appealed directly to the president during the May Iran decision.
Why it matters: Gulf states long saw US bases as a deterrent against Iran, but Iranian strikes on those bases and Iran's Hormuz blockade have forced a public reassessment of those guarantees. Those same leaders now arrive in New York with energy exports choked and a Houthi front opening against Saudi oil routes.
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