Houthis put the US before a dangerous choice in the Middle East

The Houthis threatened to strike American interests in the Middle East if the US joins the Saudi campaign in Yemen. Politburo member Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti said the response would be swift and painful. Donald Trump called the Houthis' behavior highly inappropriate. Earlier, Riyadh asked Washington for help, but the administration rejected the requests.

The Houthis threatened to strike American interests in the Middle East if the US joins Saudi Arabia's military campaign in Yemen. Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, a member of the movement's political bureau, told AFP that the response would be swift and painful. The threats came amid a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, vessels and transport facilities. On Saturday, a US citizen was killed in a shelling of Riyadh's international airport. On Monday evening, explosions again thundered over the Saudi capital: the coalition said it intercepted a missile, while the Houthis claimed a new attack on the airport. US President Donald Trump called the Houthis' behavior "highly inappropriate" and hinted at the possibility of supporting Saudi strikes. Earlier, the administration had rejected Riyadh's requests for military assistance. A new round of fighting in Yemen began in July amid a broader regional conflict.