I would add that I feel that MbS feared that this time would come, and has been preparing Saudi for this conflict for several years.

Early in the Trump Administration, he pushed through deal after deal for armaments, the biggest worth $110B. This was way, way beyond the use of KC-135's to drop bombs on Yemeni tribesmen.

The standing question was: what did they need all that gear for? Supposedly, the Saudi royals were all in with the Zionists and the antagonism was phony. People could also wave their hands around about the MIC and sales, but Trump was the only one since Ike ever to call out the MIC.

So this is it: a real fight against the Zionists for all the marbles. They have come completely off whatever chain may have existed before. The clock is ticking because Trump will pull the plug on any US involvement come January. (IDK, of course, but I think this time around mutineers will be shot. Er, I mean, suffer tragic training accidents like so many others.)

I suspect this does not track with how you'd chart the situation, but I thought I'd throw it out there.