DOHA — Addressing a room full of diplomats and security officials at the Global Security Forum in Doha, the United States’ special envoy for Syria and Iraq, Thomas Barrack, delivered a blunt assessment of the Yemen file on Tuesday: a US ground intervention against the Houthi rebels, he said, would be « pointless. »
With fighting between Houthi forces and the Yemeni army escalating since July, and with Houthi strikes claimed in October against Saudi airports in Riyadh, Abha, Jizan, Najran and Dammam, as well as oil facilities and military sites, the veteran American diplomat argued for a different approach. « Negotiations involving Saudi Arabia, the Houthis and regional mediators represent a far better alternative, » he said, pointing to the limited results of past US military interventions across the Middle East.
Barrack insisted that a lasting solution will not come from Washington but from the region’s own capitals. He urged Gulf states and their neighbors to build regional alliances capable of resolving their own crises, arguing that the United States is shifting toward a supporting role rather than direct control. Still, he was careful to reassure jittery allies: « Washington does not abandon its partners in the region, » he said.
The Yemen war has dragged on for more than a decade. The Houthis have controlled the capital, Sanaa, and several northern provinces since September 2014, while a Saudi-led coalition has backed the internationally recognized government since March 2015. Fighting flared again this summer, stoking fears of a wider regional conflagration.
Barrack also addressed Iran, saying the Trump administration remains open to a negotiated settlement with Tehran, with mediation from Qatar, Oman, Pakistan and Switzerland. A memorandum of understanding signed on June 18 between Washington and Tehran had stalled over guarantees for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy supplies. Lingering distrust between Washington and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Barrack said, remains the chief obstacle to any serious resumption of talks — months after the US-Israeli war on Iran that killed thousands in late February.
The remarks come as Gulf capitals step up diplomatic efforts to head off a broader escalation, caught between persistent tension over the Strait of Hormuz and an uncertain endgame in Yemen.
