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Politics
Trump to meet Arab leaders next week as war with Iran spirals out of control: Report
As the Yemen-based Houthis have opened a second front in the West Asia conflict, US President Donald Trump will reportedly meet Arab leaders next month to discuss next steps in the conflict.
US President Donald Trump will meet Arab leaders next week to discuss the next steps in the West Asia conflict, according to Axios.
Trump will hold the meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City on Tuesday.
The report comes amid mixed signals from Trump. He said on Wednesday that "hopefully we are towards the end of the war" just days after saying that the conflict was unlikely to end before the mid-term elections.
The meeting comes at a time when the American war against Iran appears to be spiralling out of control. While the Strait of Hormuz remains choked and negotiations remain stalled, the Iran-backed, Yemen-based Houthis have opened a second front in the region by controlling large swathes of territory along the Red Sea and disrupting traffic through the waterway — around 12 per cent of the world's seaborne oil and 30 per cent of container traffic passes through the route.
The Houthis have also launched a campaign against Saudi Arabia by declaring a blockade of the kingdom and carrying out frequent attacks. Their strikes on Tuesday forced the closure of the kingdom's main international airport in Jeddah, while alerts were issued in several other cities, including Yanbu, Taif, Abha, and Jazan. On Wednesday, the Saudis accused the Houthis of launching a drone attack on Mecca, Islam's holiest city.
Trump's pact with Houthis complicates talks with Arab partners
The meeting could be complicated by the American position on the Houthis' blockade of the Red Sea and attacks on Saudi Arabia. The Guardian reported that American officials held talks with Houthi officials in Oman over the weekend and reached an understanding under which neither side would attack the other.
According to the report, the Houthis assured the administration that their conflict was with Saudi Arabia and that they would not target American interests.
But it remains to be seen whether the administration can maintain that approach as the Houthis' continued control of the Red Sea disrupts oil supplies, including through the Saudi East-West pipeline, which accounts for 4 per cent of the world's crude supply.
The attendees are expected to include leaders or foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. But Axios quoted a source as saying that the meeting could be expanded to include other Arab and Muslim leaders.
Trump hosted a similar meeting last year during which he presented his peace plan for the Gaza Strip to leaders of the Muslim world — the plan has not materialised, and Israel continues to occupy the Palestinian territory.