Gulf Oil Powers Seek U.S. Security Treaty After Yemen Strikes
- Proposal from UAE and Saudi Arabia seen as unrealistic in U.S.
- Push comes as Houthis attack, Ukraine war lifts oil prices
Smoke rises from a Saudi Aramco oil facility in in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 26.
Photographer: Andrej Isakovic/AFP/Getty Images
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Some Gulf Arab states are pursuing a written agreement with Washington that could primarily provide defense support after an escalation in attacks from fighters in Yemen on the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The oil exporters are ideally seeking a formal treaty with the U.S. as they attempt to redraw a decades-old relationship at a time of broad geopolitical upheaval, people familiar with the proposal said. One said that bilateral defense agreements that are expanded and revised over time might also be an option.