Trump digs in on Iran blockade & how the Houthis outmanoeuvred Saudi Arabia in Yemen

Original Article

Donald Trump is digging in on the blockade of Iranian ports, making it clear to negotiators that the US will not budge without major concessions on Iran’s nuclear program. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Roland Oliphant speaks to Michael Knights, a military historian and security consultant who has spent time in Yemen and the wider region, about news of talks to end the war and the rationale behind Trump’s stance on the Strait of Hormuz. They also discuss why the Houthis are winning in Yemen – and how to stop them. Michael explains how a heavily funded, Western-trained Saudi military failed to stop the Iran-backed insurgent force, the importance of the UAE’s absence, and why growing ties between the Houthis and Somalia’s Al-Shabaab threaten the Red Sea chokepoint. Plus, confusion reigns after the US says a “foreign actor” was involved in the incident at UK airbase RAF Fairford and Trump says the suspects shouldn’t have been released on bail.