A former senior CIA official and military analyst said recent Houthi advances have put the US in a bind: if Washington cannot back Saudi Arabia, Riyadh may be driven to reconcile with Iran to offset a sharp drop in oil exports. He called the Houthis Iran’s most effective proxy, able to withstand strikes by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the US. Monday’s Oman meeting on the Strait of Hormuz was cancelled — a key signal that may reflect a US request to delay while consulting Saudi Arabia on a coordinat

A former senior CIA official and military analyst said recent Houthi advances have put the US in a bind: if Washington cannot back Saudi Arabia, Riyadh may be driven to reconcile with Iran to offset a sharp drop in oil exports. He called the Houthis Iran’s most effective proxy, able to withstand strikes by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the US. Monday’s Oman meeting on the Strait of Hormuz was cancelled — a key signal that may reflect a US request to delay while consulting Saudi Arabia on a coordinated response.