Kenneth Katzman, senior fellow at the Soufan Center, said had President Trump
approved Saudi Arabia's request for military assistance at the time, US air
strikes — given their precision and effectiveness — could have halted the Houthi
advance. Katzman said Trump appeared "confused" about handling the situation and
did not act like an effective commander-in-chief. He warned US core interests in
freedom of navigation, particularly Middle East energy flows, are being squeezed
by Iran and the Houthis as Washington largely stands aside and expects Saudi
Arabia to resolve the issue.
