Donald Trump's administration, the President of the United States, made a sudden change and decided to halt airstrikes against the Houthis at the last minute. This action came after Trump had ordered the Pentagon to prepare for an attack on this militia group. This decision clearly reflects the doubts among Trump's inner circle regarding the United States' entry into Saudi Arabia's war with the Houthis.
Doubts About Entering the War
In recent weeks, Trump had been hesitant about Saudi Arabia's request for military assistance in dealing with the Houthis. On Thursday, September 17, Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, reiterated this request to Trump, after which the U.S. President ordered the Pentagon to prepare for an attack on the Houthis. However, by noon on Sunday, September 20, Trump changed his position again and decided against carrying out these attacks.
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Last-Minute Retreat
According to officials in Trump's administration, no airstrikes by the U.S. against the Houthis will take place under current conditions. A senior U.S. official stated that most members of Trump's inner circle were strongly hesitant about entering a war with the Houthis, and many of them opposed this action. This decision change occurred while military commanders had approved a list of targets for the Houthis and army forces were preparing bombs on fighter jets.
In an interview with a Fox News reporter, Trump stated that the United States is "constantly" in contact with the Houthis and that this group has so far agreed not to engage in war with the U.S. These positions and decisions reflect Trump's reluctance for further military involvement in the region.
Impacts on Gulf Security
Tracking data from the company "Kepler" shows that traffic in the Strait of Hormuz remains low. On Saturday and Sunday, a total of about 12 cargo ships passed through this waterway. This decrease in traffic may be due to existing uncertainties in the region and recent decisions by the Trump administration.
According to Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, over the past few months, more than one billion barrels of crude oil from Gulf countries have been transported through the Strait of Hormuz with the assistance of U.S. forces. He also stated that the United States has assisted in the passage of over two thousand commercial ships through this strait and that the main shipping routes in this waterway have been "cleared of mines laid by the Iranians."
In this context, Iran is facing multiple economic challenges. According to the Iranian Statistics Center, the economic growth rate for the first quarter of the year 1405 has been reported at negative 10.1 percent. Meanwhile, the country's gross domestic product during this period has reached 21 trillion and 795 billion rials, indicating a significant decrease compared to the previous year.
Given all these developments, it seems that the decisions and changes of the Trump administration regarding the Houthis and Saudi Arabia will have profound impacts on the security and economy of the region.
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