As Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman battle the aftermath of an escalating fight with Iran-backed Houthi militants, a senior militant leader has called for overthrowing the Saudi leadership.
Houthi leader Mohammed al-Bukhaiti announced that the group would support any internal movement in Saudi Arabia aimed at overthrowing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Al-Bukhaiti said the group’s support includes various forms of internal action aimed at changing the Saudi leadership, including popular protests and opposition movements, as well as any possible move from within the ruling family. A member of the political bureau of the Ansar Allah movement (Houthis) in Yemen, al-Bukhaiti also threatened the United States with a “swift and painful response" if it intervenes in the war between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, warning of a "comprehensive escalation".
"If America becomes involved in aggression against Yemen, we will not hesitate to respond. There will be a swift and painful response targeting America and all its interests in the region, wherever we can reach them," he told AFP.
Trump said on Saturday that he would decide "quickly" whether the United States would join Saudi Arabia in striking the Houthis, following the attack on Riyadh airport.
MBS declines Israeli support
Mohammed bin Salman opposes the moves by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike the Houthi militia. According to Hebrew media Haretz, Netanyahu sought support from Washington and Riyadh for Israel to expand its military strikes against the Houthis, in a move that reflects the Israeli government's efforts to rally regional and international support for its potential operations in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia rejected these moves, citing the complexities of the regional scene and the sensitivities around any direct Israeli military cooperation in the region.
Netanyahu’s aim was to expand the scope of Israeli action against the group while also using any potential rapprochement with Riyadh to improve bilateral relations and create conditions for a future normalisation process.
