The key facts

  • Tom Barrick: the US supports Saudi Arabia logistically, but ground intervention in Yemen 'looks pointless'
  • Barrick called on countries in the region to build alliances instead of relying on Washington; about the war with Iran he said 'I don't know if it was a mistake or not'
  • Escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis continues against the backdrop of a deadlock in US-Iran talks

Statements at the forum in Doha

US Special Envoy Tom Barrick, who also serves as US Ambassador to Turkey and the president's special envoy for Syria and Iraq, spoke on Tuesday at the Doha Forum (Qatar). He said that President Donald Trump is providing Saudi Arabia with logistical support amid the kingdom's escalating confrontation with Yemen's Houthis, but a US ground intervention in that conflict, in his words, 'looks pointless.'

Call for regional alliances and criticism of interventions

Barrick called on Middle Eastern countries to form regional alliances rather than rely on Washington to solve their problems. He also expressed doubt about the history of American military interventions in the Middle East, noting that attempts at regime change had failed time and again. 'Every time we try to intervene, to change a person or a regime, it seems to turn out to be a mistake,' Anadolu quotes him as saying.

Iran: evasive answer about the war

Speaking about the ongoing tension between Washington and Tehran, Barrick said the US seeks to reach a peace agreement with Iran. Asked whether the US and Israel war against Iran was a mistake, he replied: 'I don't know if it was a mistake or not,' and described the situation resulting from the conflict as 'terrible.'

Context of the escalation in the region

The statements came amid intensified fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis: the Riyadh-led coalition is carrying out airstrikes on the group's positions, while the Houthis, in turn, attack the kingdom with missiles and drones. The regional escalation coincided with continuing tension between the US and Iran after their military clash; diplomatic efforts to reach an agreement, according to Anadolu, remain deadlocked.