Inside Trump’s attacks on the White House press pool
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What new Houthi attacks on Riyadh are raising tensions in the Middle East?
Hey there, one quick request before we start the show. The midterms are just about six weeks away, and our interview show, Apple News in Conversation, wants to know your questions. Like, how do media organizations actually call races? Or where do all those millions of dollars in campaign cash actually go? No question is too big or too small. Just use your iPhone's voice memo app to record yourself, tell us your name, where you're from, and your question, and please just try to keep it to about 30 seconds. Okay. You can send it to us at inconversation at apple.com, and we might include your question on the show. Thanks so much. Good morning. A new front opens up in the Middle East conflict as a close U.S.
ally comes under attack.
And now it really does seem like the Houthis are on an escalatory path and Saudi Arabia still seems uncertain on how it's going to respond to this.
President Trump looks to shut out parts of the press from the White House and perhaps the most shocking collapse in college football history. It's Monday, September 21st. I'm Gideon Resnick. This is Apple News Today. The consequences of the Iran war rippled deeper into the Middle East over the weekend, as Saudi Arabia faced attacks on its capital city.
How are the Houthis’ strikes on Saudi oil infrastructure affecting global oil markets?
The kingdom confirmed that the Houthis attempted strikes at Riyadh, the first time it's been targeted this year. Reuters' video showed a massive plume of black smoke emerging from near the city's main airport.
So Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, have increasingly been pressuring Saudi Arabia.
That's John Gambrell, the deputy Middle East bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal. He told us that the Houthis had taken control of ports close to the Red Sea, a vital trade gateway for the Saudis. And they've attacked a pipeline the country uses for oil exports.
So having that oil pipeline offline has really disrupted things for the Saudis. It's starting to put more pressure on the oil market. And from the Houthi perspective, they are continuing to attack Saudi Arabia. And now it really does seem like the Houthis are on an escalatory path. And Saudi Arabia still... seems uncertain on how it's going to respond
to this. The conflict between the Saudis and Houthis goes back more than a decade, after the Iran-backed militia ousted the government of Yemen, a country that sits next to Saudi Arabia. They had reached a tentative ceasefire a few years ago, but now that appears to be breaking down completely, thanks to the U.S. war with Iran and the blockades in the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts believe that while Iran had seen this sort of tension over the Strait of Hormuz, that they encouraged the Houthis to kind of turn up the pressure in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is for the Red Sea, sort of what the Strait of Hormuz is to the Persian Gulf. It's a very key checkpoint that can really disrupt global energy and trade and potentially put more pressure on Saudi Arabia to then put pressure on the United States to find some sort of permanent end to the Iran
war. The Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly turned to President Trump for support, only to be rebuffed.
Why did President Trump ban Politico, CNN, and MSNOW from the White House press pool?
The Trump administration has kind of been signaling that they were under the impression that the Houthis had only a problem with Saudi Arabia and not the Americans. And there's been sort of a hesitancy, it seems, from the American side to get involved in this, particularly as they're dealing still with the Iranians and the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis suggested on Sunday that they weren't targeting the U.S. directly and warned other countries against getting involved. But the pressure is increasing for the Saudis, and that could have consequences for the global economy. Once the world's largest provider of oil, exports have fallen to a 13-year low as the country struggles to insulate itself from the Iran war, something that affects the oil price globally.
It really just shows that things are kind of spinning out of control. Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest purchasers of U.S. armaments and weapons systems, and they have a very close relationship for decades with the U.S., and particularly Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has a tight relationship, it's believed, with U.S.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What new Houthi attacks on Riyadh are raising tensions in the Middle East?
0:00–1:18
2
How are the Houthis’ strikes on Saudi oil infrastructure affecting global oil markets?
1:18–3:03
3
Why did President Trump ban Politico, CNN, and MSNOW from the White House press pool?
3:03–4:47
4
What legal arguments say the White House press ban is unconstitutional?
4:47–6:53
5
How does the White House press pool normally operate and what could change for CNN?
6:53–8:35
6
What’s happening with Missouri’s contested congressional redistricting map?
8:35–10:14
7
Why did an ICE officer shoot a man in Austin and what’s the investigation’s status?
10:14–12:05
8
How did Vanderbilt’s last‑second play overturn North Carolina State’s win in a shocking college football finish?
12:05–13:56
Speakers
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