Trump's Phone Call with Saudi King Regarding Destruction of Houthi Missiles

The White House announced on Sunday that following the destruction of Houthi missiles near Riyadh, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on the phone with the King of Saudi Arabia. In another statement, Mr. Trump blamed Iran for this incident. According to an Associated Press report citing the White House statement, joint efforts to combat terrorism, 'the ongoing threats from Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen,' and the destruction of a missile fired from Yemen near Riyadh were the main topics of discussion between the two leaders. The U.S. President also thanked Saudi Arabia for its military purchases from the U.S., including a $15 billion investment in the THAAD missile defense system. The statement did not mention the exact timing of the phone call or provide further details. Saudi Arabian media reported on Saturday evening, November 4, that the country's air defense system had 'destroyed a missile fired from Yemen' near Riyadh. At the time of this news release, the U.S. President was on his East Asia trip, having left Washington for Tokyo, and according to Reuters, he blamed Iran for the missile launch in remarks to reporters on the plane. He stated, 'I believe the firing of [the missile] at Saudi Arabia was influenced by Iran, and our [missile defense] system destroyed it.' This refers to the Patriot missile defense system sold by the United States to Saudi Arabia. Mr. Trump continued, 'This shows how good we are [in these productions], and no one can build what we have made and are now selling around the world.' In the Yemeni civil war, where Houthi rebels are in conflict with the legitimate government led by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, Iran is accused of financially and militarily supporting this militant group, including supplying missile equipment to the Houthis. However, just hours after the U.S. President's remarks, Iran's Defense Minister rejected the accusation of the Islamic Republic's involvement in the missile attack from Yemen to Saudi Arabia, and the commander of the Revolutionary Guards stated that the missiles fired by the Houthis had been 'reconstructed.' According to ISNA news agency, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami, reacting to the U.S. President's remarks, said, 'It is not supposed that whenever something happens in the region, the U.S. blames Iran.' He continued, 'Does anyone ask the U.S. what they provide to Saudi Arabia?' On the same day, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards also stated that 'there is absolutely no possibility of transferring missiles to Yemen' and that the fired missile belongs to the Ansar Allah group itself. Mohammad Ali Jafari also claimed that this group had 'reconstructed' these missiles and increased their range, but did not specify to which country the 'reconstructed' missiles of the Houthis belonged. Mr. Jafari's statements come as some media close to the Revolutionary Guards, including Tasnim news agency, had previously reported 'based on Yemeni media' about the launch of missiles, primarily made in Iran, such as 'Zulfiqar 3' by the Houthis. In this context, Kayhan newspaper in its June 11, 2015 issue reported on the unveiling of the 'Zulfiqar' missile by the Ansar Allah group, stating that 'Zulfiqar in types 1, 2, 3, and 110 is an Iranian missile with a short range of 150 to a medium range of 350 kilometers.' Previously, U.S. officials had accused the Islamic Republic of sending missiles to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. For instance, after several missiles were fired at U.S. ships in the Gulf of Aden in 2016, Senator John McCain suggested that these missiles might have been sent by Iran for the Houthis. U.S. officials have also reported several times in recent years about seizing ships carrying weapons from Iran destined for Yemen, but Iran has denied accusations of providing military support to the Houthi Shiite rebels in Yemen. Saudi Arabia had previously reported the destruction of missiles fired from Yemen by the Houthis. For example, on Friday, July 28, the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia announced that it had destroyed a ballistic missile 'fired by Houthi rebels' near Mecca. The Arab coalition, in support of Yemen's legitimate government, has conducted thousands of airstrikes against Houthi militants. This group, which emerged from the Saada region, has now gained control over more areas of the country after ousting Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi's government from Sana'a.