Iran-Backed Houthis Threaten Global Shipping and Saudi Oil Production
Saudi Arabia is facing its biggest threat to oil production since its founding in 1932, according to a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Hussain Abdul-Hussain said that Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen are launching cross-border attacks and seizing territory near the Red Sea's Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The situation is escalating in the Middle East as Iran 'likely instigated the Houthis to force a blockade on Saudi Arabia', Abdul-Hussain stated. The Houthis announced that they're only going after Saudi ships and navigation, not international shipping, which forces a choice for the United States: go to war with the Houthis or ask the Saudis to handle it.
Abdul-Hussain emphasized that 'the Saudis don't seem to have been able to deal with the Houthis', despite receiving military support from the US. The US remains focused on protecting core national security interests, including freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, while empowering allies in the region to manage and resolve security challenges.