The United States has recently conducted airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in an effort to counter Iran-backed militants. Former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, in an interview, highlighted the failure of the Biden administration's Middle East policy. Ortagus pointed out that three years ago, under the Trump administration, Iran was effectively contained through maximum pressure and sanctions, with Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, eliminated. However, she argued that the Biden administration has squandered this leverage and failed to maintain maximum economic pressure on Iran.
Furthermore, Ortagus criticized the Biden administration's approach towards the conflict in Yemen. She highlighted that in February 2021, shortly after Biden took office, the US halted providing weapons to Saudi Arabia for their operations against the Houthis. She claimed that this decision allowed the Houthis to strengthen their capabilities over the past three years, leading to the current scenario where a terrorist group is launching ballistic missiles at US troops.
