US support for Saudi war in Yemen soars under Trump
The Defense Department more than doubled US refueling support for Saudi Arabia’s campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen over the past year amid rising congressional opposition.
The Pentagon more than doubled US refueling support for the Saudi-led mission in Yemen over the past year, a spokeswoman told Al-Monitor, despite mounting public and congressional concerns about the operation.
Amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country, the US Department of Defense provided about 480,000 gallons of aviation fuel to the mission at a cost of more than $1 million in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, a 140% increase over the previous year. The disclosure comes as Yemen suffers the world’s worst cholera epidemic and the Saudis face international pressure to lift their blockade of the country’s ports.
