Houthi Offensive Puts US on Brink of Deeper Involvement in Middle East Conflict

The Houthi militia's recent attacks on Saudi Arabia and its energy facilities have raised concerns about a wider war breaking out in the Middle East. The Iranian-backed group has been expanding its control around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, seizing territory and islands near a waterway where 25% of tanker traffic and 10% of global oil supplies passed through before the war.

The Houthis have hit Saudi Arabia's most important oil pipeline and tried to attack its capital city of Riyadh. They have also been accused by the Saudis of trying to attack the holy city of Mecca. This escalation has put pressure on global oil markets, which are already under strain from Iran's interference in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Trump administration is facing growing risks of a bigger energy crunch or having to devote military resources to another front in the conflict. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly asked the U.S. for more military support in the war against the Houthis, but President Donald Trump has not yet signed off on striking Houthi targets.

Former counterterrorism official Javed Ali said that Iran and the Houthis are using a coordinated strategy to seize opportunity based on economic factors and drive up costs. He noted that the U.S. has dwindling inventories of defensive capabilities, including missile interceptors, which could be used against the Houthis or for other missions.