Why the UK’s support for Saudi Arabia also signals a reset of relations with Donald Trump

By Matthew Powell, Teaching Fellow in Strategic and Air Power Studies, University of Portsmouth

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated in 2026, with the attacks by the US and Israel against Iran. Renewed attacks by Saudi Arabia against the Houthi rebels in Yemen dialled up hostilities even further. Through attacks on global shipping, this small group has had a strategic impact far greater than its size and capability. Now, the UK has stepped in with an offer of support to its Saudi allies.

It is vital for the world economy that the strait in question, Bab al-Mandab, remains passable to ships,…

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