Former US Counter-Terrorism Official: Saudi Arabia Faces Yemen Crisis Without External Aid

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Joe Kent, former director of the U.S. Counter-Terrorism Center, stated via a video on the X platform that Saudi Arabia will not find anyone to rescue it from the Yemen crisis.

He believes the most cost-effective method to reopen the Bab el-Mandeb strait to Saudi shipping, a path Riyadh has yet to explore, is to reach an agreement with Ansar Allah.

In his video on the X platform (formerly Twitter), Kent said that the “Mecca Agreement” does not encompass addressing prior issues, including the Yemen file. He also noted that the United States has refrained from intervening in this war. Pointing out that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is scheduled to visit Cairo tomorrow, he mentioned that according to some reports, he will ask the Israeli regime to communicate with the relevant parties through the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

Kent, who spent time in Yemen in 2010, believes there is a less costly option for Riyadh. He noted that no one has succeeded in subduing the northern tribes, neither Egypt, which failed in the Yemen war, nor the U.S., which attempted last year before withdrawing.

Kent emphasized that “Ansar Allah is not the Al-Qaeda organization” and that they do not deploy independent drones to attack anyone. He also pointed out that they are not Iran’s puppets, but rather more of a partner with Iran.

According to Kent, the Houthis seek the territory they have always possessed. Kent’s advice to Riyadh is to abandon “Western thinking” and return to traditional approaches. He added, “This might come at a cost, but it is better to bear that cost.”

In recent days, Western media have reported that Saudi Arabia has sought assistance from the United States, Europe, and even the Israeli regime to exit the Yemen crisis.