After a sudden revolution in Tunisia in 2011 , protests occurred in almost every Arab state . The wave of demonstrations became known as the Arab Spring , and the handling of the Arab Spring played a major role in Obama 's foreign policy . After three weeks of unrest , Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned at the urging of President Obama . General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi eventually took power from Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in a 2013 coup d'état , prompting the US to cut off arms shipments to its long-time ally . However , Obama resumed the shipments in 2015 . Yemen experienced a revolution and then civil war , leading to a Saudi military campaign that received logistical and intelligence assistance from the United States . The Obama administration announced its intention to review U.S. military assistance to Saudi Arabia after Saudi warplanes targeted a funeral in Yemen 's capital Sanaa , killing more than 140 people . The UN accused the Saudi-led coalition of " complete disregard for human life "
targeted a funeral
2016 Sana'a funeral airstrike
Presidency of Barack Obama