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Saudi plea risks dragging Pakistan

9m

Saudi crown prince sought help as Houthi attacks disrupted Saudi oil, but the U.S., Egypt and China hesitated, risking Pakistan’s entanglement under a Saudi-Pakistan defence pact.

by Scott Lucas

37%
scottlucas.bsky.social
US Central Command head Cooper: Our forces helped 1bn+ barrels of crude oil exit Persian Gulf through #StraitOfHormuz in recent months

Amount is equivalent to about 50 days of oil moved through the Strait before the US-Israel War on #Iran

#IranWar
September 19, 2026 at 5:00 PM

by Scott Lucas

37%
scottlucas.bsky.social
Aramco fuel tank near Riyadh’s International Airport is on fire

Firefighters are trying to extinguish the flames of the burnt-out fuel tank

Witnesses reported two explosions in the Saudi capital early this morning

#SaudiArabia #IranWar #Houthis #Yemen
September 19, 2026 at 4:55 PM

by Scott Lucas

37%
scottlucas.bsky.social
#Iran senior official Rezaei: We conveyed conditions to mediators for re-engaging in negotiations over US War

Conditions include ending the war on all fronts, unfreezing Iranian funds abroad, and ending the US naval blockade

Consultations continue w #Qatar and #Pakistan mediators

#IranWar
September 19, 2026 at 4:51 PM

by Shibley Telhami

42%
stelhami.bsky.social
Pathetic. Why are the Saudis facing this predicament in the first place?
www.wsj.com/opinion/saud...
Opinion | The Saudis, the Houthis, and Israel
A new challenge requires Riyadh to work with Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem.
www.wsj.com
September 19, 2026 at 2:47 PM

by Shibley Telhami

42%
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Reposted by Juan Cole, Marc Lynch

40%
newsguy.bsky.social
Smoke and flames seen near Riyadh airport, causing major flight disruptions as Iran-backed Houthis launch suicide drones targeting Saudi infrastructure. gulfnews.com/world/mena/trump...
Trump signs Russia-Iran sanctions law; Saudi Arabia on alert amid Houthi threat
New US law expands sanctions on Russia and Iran, targets shadow oil fleet and major buyers, while Saudi Arabia responds to Houthi strikes and regional tensions.
gulfnews.com
September 19, 2026 at 2:11 PM
The Washington Post
As attacks choke off Saudi oil, kingdom confronts limits of Trump’s friendship

Riyadh is paying a steep price for the Iran war. Help from Washington remains circumscribed.

Reposts 0 10h

Reposted by Marc Lynch

19%
theguardian.com
Pact with Saudi Arabia threatens to draw Pakistan into Middle East conflict
Pact with Saudi Arabia threatens to draw Pakistan into Middle East conflict
Activation of mutual defence agreement by Riyadh as fighting with Houthis escalates would have wide-reaching repercussions for Islamabad As he stood in Riyadh last September, the world looked like a very different place for Pakistan’s most powerful man, Gen Asim Munir. The country’s army chief was there to witness the signing of a historic defence pact with Saudi Arabia, which he had personally orchestrated with the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 19, 2026 at 9:09 AM

by Scott Lucas

37%
scottlucas.bsky.social
Sources: US intelligence report produced by AI “almost started a war” between US and #China

Report mistakenly said a Chinese ship was carrying nuclear components to Iran - US military prepared to seize the vessel, and warplanes were in the air

#Iran #IranWar
September 19, 2026 at 9:02 AM
The Guardian
Pact with Saudi Arabia threatens to draw Pakistan into Middle East conflict

Activation of mutual defence agreement by Riyadh as fighting with Houthis escalates would have wide-reaching repercussions for Islamabad As he stood in Riyadh last September, the world looked like a very different place for Pakistan’s most powerful man, Gen Asim Munir. The country’s army chief was there to witness the signing of a historic defence pact with Saudi Arabia, which he had personally orchestrated with the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Continue reading. . .

Pact with Saudi Arabia threatens to draw Pakistan into Middle East conflict
Reposts 0 13h

by Scott Lucas

37%
scottlucas.bsky.social
41-min deep dive into escalating conflict between #Yemen 's #Houthis and #SaudiArabia, complicating #Trump 's failing War on #Iran

Has Trump Admin distanced itself from Saudi partners as US officials in Oman sit down w Houthi representatives?

Growing problems for Trump on homefront

#IranWar
September 19, 2026 at 6:01 AM

by Scott Lucas

37%
scottlucas.bsky.social
EA-CEO Retort VideoCast: #Saudi- #Houthi Conflict Complicates #Trump ’s Failing War on #Iran (Scott Lucas with Tim El-Sheikh)

eaworldview.com/2026/09/saud...
EA-CEO Retort VideoCast: Saudi-Houthi Conflict Complicates Trump's Failing War on Iran - EA WorldView
41-minute deep dive into the escalating conflict between Yemen's Houthis and Saudi Arabia, complicating the Trump camp's failing War on Iran
eaworldview.com
September 19, 2026 at 5:58 AM

by Scott Lucas

37%
scottlucas.bsky.social
2 explosions heard in #Saudi capital #Riyadh amid air raid alert

All-clear later issued

1st alert for area since conflict escalated between #Saudi and #Yemen 's Houthis - Hours after Houthi military spokesperson said they foiled Saudi-backed “criminal attempts” in Yemeni capital Sana'a

#IranWar
September 19, 2026 at 4:20 AM

by Scott Lucas

37%
scottlucas.bsky.social
US War on #Iran, Day 205 --- #SaudiArabia Conflict with #Yemen 's #Houthis Escalates

#IranWar

eaworldview.com/2026/09/us-w...
UPDATES: US War on Iran, Day 205 - Saudi Arabia's Conflict with Yemen 's Houthis Escalates - EA WorldView
Saudi Arabia warns the security of Mecca is a "red line", claiming that it intercepted and destroyed a ⁠Houthi drone south of the holy city.
eaworldview.com
September 19, 2026 at 4:18 AM

Reposted by Steve Peers, Marc Lynch

44%
joshuafoust.com
It should be illegal to buy a company with debt and then sell it off to a foreign owner, but that fight was lost long ago. Anyway, now the Saudis own a truly distressing portion of American entertainment, from Hollywood to Video Games to Sports. This is not neutral behavior. Anyway.
FCC lets Paramount sell 49.5% equity stake to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar
FCC rejects concerns about repressive governments buying influence over CBS owner.
arstechnica.com
September 18, 2026 at 11:42 PM
La Repubblica
Bin Salman and the Yemeni threat, the prince's isolation under siege

He pleaded in vain with the U.S. and Egypt to help him against the pro-Iranian forces. China remains on the sidelines and Europe dithers as well.

Bin Salman and the Yemeni threat, the prince's isolation under siege
Reposts 0 21h

Reposted by Shibley Telhami

14%
almonitor.bsky.social
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is busy with secret, last-ditch efforts to normalize ties with Saudi Arabia, two senior Israeli political sources told Al-Monitor, hoping the achievement could help his reelection prospects. www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...
How Netanyahu is leveraging Houthi threat in secret Saudi normalization push
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to capitalize on Riyadh's need for intelligence assistance to make normalization headway ahead of the October elections.
www.al-monitor.com
September 18, 2026 at 8:20 PM

by Shibley Telhami

42%
stelhami.bsky.social
"The Houthi Advance Is About More Than Just Iran - The Saudi-Emirati rivalry is driving moves across the region," by @abuaardvark.bsky.social foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/18/h...
The Houthi Advance Is About More Than Just Iran
The Saudi-Emirati rivalry is driving moves across the region.
foreignpolicy.com
September 18, 2026 at 4:42 PM
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