Iran Expands Proxy Network to Target US Allies in Gulf
In recent months, Iran has been expanding its proxy network in the Gulf region, using Iraqi militias and the Houthi rebels in Yemen to target American allies, including Saudi Arabia. This new strategy is part of a hybrid approach employed by Iran to drive up costs for the war launched by the US and Israel in February.
A wave of Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities last Tuesday threatened to reignite full-scale war with the kingdom. The Houthis declared a blockade against Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, forcing the kingdom to adopt a 'dark' transit policy, which includes turning off tracking signals on oil tankers.
Saudi Arabia had diverted much of its oil to the Red Sea after Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, but the Houthis began attacking, causing the kingdom to start shipping more oil north to the Suez Canal and Egypt's SUMED pipeline. The Houthis have also shown they can target this route, striking a Saudi tanker in the northern Red Sea with a missile.
Regional officials and experts say Iran is using its Iraqi proxies and the Houthi rebels to squeeze Saudi Arabia like 'pliers.' Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the Crisis Group, said the Houthis' growing prominence during the Gaza war opened up a new horizon in Iraq, where many groups became eager to support the Houthis and share their military expertise.