MBS, trapped by his own powerlessness

The episode is likely to haunt him for a long time. The Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport over the weekend, which killed at least 14 people and wounded more than 310, are the clearest symbol yet of the nightmare year Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is enduring. He dreamed of building a new Europe; instead, he finds himself at the mercy of geopolitical and geographical realities over which he seems to have no control, despite all his petrodollars.Directly targeted by Iran, by Iraqi militias and now by the Houthis, the kingdom is under attack from a ruthless neighbor that is undermining all its ambitions and forcing it to face the dilemma of either fighting a war it cannot win or striking a deal that amounts to submission to Tehran.Saudi strategists may seek to reassure their counterparts by highlighting the kingdom’s policy of...