Saudis failing to win allies for its fight against Yemen's Houthis

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Regional officials said the Saudis have asked France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air-defence support to the region to help defend against missiles and drones fired by forces of Yemen’s Houthi-led forces.

The outreach was initiated because Saudi Arabia’s main ally and arms supplier, the United States, has seen its own stock of interceptors dwindle over the course of a six-month war with Iran, one official said.

The Saudis, the world’s biggest oil exporter, need a safe outlet for its crude-oil exports as well as military assistance. There’s no clear path to either.

A crucial Saudi pipeline has been shut down, reportedly for weeks, after an attack by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.

The Houthis have been targeting infrastructure in the kingdom and its shipping on the Red Sea, where they have seized several islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

With Iran still targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, oil prices have soared to above $100 a barrel.

One of the regional officials said Saudi Arabia is in a “very difficult position,” since it has to protect not only its military bases and vital government installations, but also oil facilities across the kingdom.

The second official said Saudi Arabia is also seeking to rally its international allies to launch a collective response against Yemen’s Houthi forces.

“But the decision now is to give diplomacy a chance,” the official said, adding that Oman and Egypt are leading efforts for de-escalation in Yemen.

On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia accused the Yemenis of trying to attack Islam’s holiest city with a drone; the region responded with condemnation but no sign of military support.

The kingdom declared Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed, a “red line” and said it had intercepted the drone.

But the Yemenis denied targeting Mecca.

However, the Yemenis did claim that they shot down an F-15 fighter jet operated by the Saudi-backed coalition over Yemen’s central province of Marib.

In a video released by the rebel group’s media channels, Houthi fighters appear to be pushing what they are calling the wreckage of an F-15 emblazoned with a Saudi flag.

Spokespeople for the Saudi-led coalition and the Saudi government didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.