Saudi Arabia's Houthi Crisis Exposes Limits of Security Strategy

Saudi Arabia's Houthi crisis has exposed the limits of its security strategy, revealing that having friends willing to support it is not enough to guarantee military intervention. The kingdom has been seeking assistance from its allies, including the US, UK, Turkey, and Pakistan, but their responses have been lukewarm.

Despite having weapons and money to buy more, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman faces a difficult challenge in finding countries willing to use force to defend him against Iran and its proxies. The Houthis' missile attacks on the kingdom's economic foundations, including oil infrastructure, pose a significant threat to the country's stability and Vision 2030 project.

The crisis has also highlighted the limitations of Riyadh's new alliances with China, Russia, Turkey, and Pakistan. While these countries have expressed support for Saudi Arabia, they have not been willing to commit troops or engage in military action themselves. The US, which was initially reluctant to intervene, eventually provided intelligence assistance and targeting information but ultimately refused to launch airstrikes.