Saudi-Led Airstrikes in Yemen Show Lack of US Leadership in Region - McCain

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Saudi Arabia leading a coalition of Arab states’ airstrikes in Yemen shows that the United States has failed to display leadership in the Middle East, US Senator John McCain said on Thursday.

“The airstrikes by these concerned Arab nations stem in part from their perception of America’s disengagement from the region and absence of US leadership,” McCain said at a US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

On Thursday, a coalition of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia renewed airstrikes that started on Wednesday against positions of Houthi militants in central Sanaa. Egypt, Bahrain and Qatar are among the countries participating in the offensive.

McCain noted that while the United States’ Arab partners conduct airstrikes to halt the offensive of Iranian "proxies" in Yemen, the United States is conducting airstrikes to support the offensive of Iranian "proxies" in Tikrit, Iraq.

“This is as bizarre as it is misguided — another tragic case of leading from behind,” he said.

McCain, who chairs the US Senate Armed Services Committee, added that the US President Barack Obama administration “has poorly handled” the complex challenges posed by Iranian activities and the Islamic State in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly deployed 100 fighter aircraft and 150,000 troops for the Yemen operation.

The coalition claims that the campaign is a response to a request by Yemen's ousted President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is reportedly in hiding outside of the country.

The Houthi militants forced Hadi and his government to resign, and dissolved the parliament in January 2015.