Yemen’s Houthis add to Biden’s foreign policy frustrations

Washington: A clan-based militia government in the Arab world’s poorest country is presenting the Biden administration with another foreign policy setback, as Yemen’s Houthis launch cross-border drone and ballistic-missile strikes rattling the wealthy oil and banking hubs of the skyscrapered Gulf.

In the face of three such strikes in as many weeks, U.S. officials are studying financial measures targeting the Houthis and the group’s top figures, with new sanctions possible as soon as this week. It’s the latest in a so-far unsuccessful push by the Biden administration to get Houthi leaders into peace talks and wind down an eight-year war that has taken a devastating toll on Yemen, a nation of millions of impoverished people and cities thousands of years old, afflicted by misgovernment and wars.

The escalation makes Yemen one of the Middle East conflicts keeping the Biden administration and military deeply engaged in the region. That’s despite President Joe Biden’s vows to turn U.S. focus to what his administration sees as core U.S. challenges, including dealing with the rise of China.

Houthi fighters launched their latest air barrage into the United Arab Emirates on Monday, as Israel’s president visited the UAE. Missile defense batteries operated by UAE forces and U.S. troops based in the emirates fired back to intercept.

From Biden down, U.S. officials are scrambling to assure Gulf strategic allies, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, they will provide defense support.

“America will have the backs of our friends in the region,” Biden told reporters after Monday’s strikes, which with the others are a factor in rising global petroleum prices. (AP)