Paper Tiger: Erdogan Comes to Save bin Salman - in His Last Chance

Yaakov Nagel, former National Security Advisor, calls Saudi Arabia a 'paper tiger' and questions its military capability, saying it failed against the Houthis. He claims the agreement with Turkey and Pakistan is a political maneuver to pressure the US, due to disappointment with its conduct and a shortage of missiles in the West.

Yaakov Nagel, former National Security Advisor and head of the National Security Council, spoke to 103FM radio and addressed the defense agreement being forged between Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Nagel called Saudi Arabia a 'paper tiger' and claimed it failed in its war against the Houthis despite the advanced means at its disposal. According to him, the Saudis have many assets, but they are not liquid, and they have reached a point where they need financial help. He added that Saudi Arabia understands it is in serious trouble, both monetary and security, and therefore is looking for alternatives, as seen in the agreement with Iran. Nagel argued that the Saudis' problem is that they do not know how to effectively use the power they have on the ground, so talk of new alliances should be taken with a grain of salt. However, he explained that the agreement is mainly a political maneuver aimed at pressuring the US administration, as the Saudis are disappointed with America's conduct, especially given the shortage of missiles and interceptors in the West, and they are trying to signal that they will not remain alone against the Shiite axis.