Qatar’s financial sponsorship and role in delivering Chinese drones for Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen

Recent information points in the direction of the Houthis. Irina Tsukerman, a national security analyst, explains that some US contractors have been called on by a major international body and by some US federal authorities to testify about this summer’s revelations of Qatar’s financial sponsorship and role in delivering Chinese drones for Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Houthis have repeatedly used these weapons to attack KSA targets. Tsukerman said: “I have personally interviewed the main source of the most recent revelations in Berlin's Germany. His latest evidence demonstrates the direct link between the inner circles of the Al Thani family and the financing of those drones. I had an opportunity to examine the evidence. This contractor had previously worked as an elite Western intelligence operative; most recently he has begun contract work with the German intelligence services. This information has been corroborated. Today he confirmed to me that the latest attack on the oil tanker near Jeddah, using a sophisticated driverless boat, has been perpetrated by the Houthis. They would not have access to such weapons without direct financial assistance from Qatar, and Iran’s backing. This brings the GCC reconciliation process into question. How can KSA lift the blockade against Qatar when the very group that just attacked it and that has previously attacked it is directly financed and sponsored by Qatar’s royal family? Opening airspace and other territory to Qatar is an invitation for additional smuggling and future attacks”.

Indeed, Erem News, an Arabic language outlet, recently reported that the talks, initially filled with enthusiasm, has already shown signs of faltering with obstacles appearing far more significant than a week of shuttle diplomacy between US and Kuwaiti officials could resolve. In the event Biden administration takes place any pressure on Saudi Arabia to bring Qatar back into the fold, given the most recent evidence emerging, would have to take these efforts and challenges into consideration.

Enter America, with is diplomatic mediative responsibility. While Trump will likely continue to push for all GCC states to reconcile, even with the Jeddah attack looming overhead, Biden will have a far more aggressive policy regarding the other GCC members and is expected to place pressure on the KSA over its stance against Qatar. The Trump policy is driven by a desire to separate Qatar away from Iran and to form a cohesive line against the Islamic Republic, that would be less dependent on US presence. This policy is fraught with many challenges, including the fact that the normalization process with Israel has not been completed by several members. Moreover, this would credit the Trump administration with significant diplomatic clout of having resolved another major Middle Eastern crisis.

For Biden, however, the calculation is different. The Democrats are significantly closer to Qatar and its proxies; they are not necessarily looking to weaken Qatar’s alliance with Iran or to unite the GCC against Iran; on the contrary, they view pressuring Saudis in that regard as empowering Qatar, which they see as an important potential intermediary between Iran and Washington in the event of future JCPOA talks. Bringing Qatar back into GCC would be a show of goodwill towards Doha and Tehran, and forcing KSA to compromise its own security in that regard, would mean that Iran could be appreciative of the US effort to once again reorient its alliance away from Riyadh and towards Tehran, which could facilitate diplomacy (in Biden’s view).

From KSA’s perspective, for better or for worse, it is better to take steps to examine this issue before Biden forces the resolution on his own terms. The most recent incident coupled with the new information may give the pretext to table the conclusive resolution for the foreseeable future; not even Biden would be able in good conscience to criticize Saudi Arabia for failing to give Qatar an opportunity when it was attacked by Qatar’s protegee during the talks.