Houthi Assaults on Saudi Arabia Escalate as Strait of Hormuz Diplomacy Stalls

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis launched a fresh offensive against Saudi Arabia while consolidating their positions along the Red Sea coast, Yemeni officials reported. The escalation comes as urgent discussions take place in Riyadh regarding a response to the rebels’ rapid advance. Meanwhile, Gulf Arab states have postponed planned negotiations with Iran, sparking fears that the regional conflict will further destabilize the Middle East and jeopardize global oil supplies.

The Houthis stated on Monday that they launched a barrage of missiles and drones at a military airbase in Khamis Mushait, southern Saudi Arabia, targeting aircraft hangars, radar systems, runways, and ammunition depots, which the rebels claimed was retaliation for Saudi airstrikes within Yemen. Saudi authorities activated emergency alerts in Khamis Mushait and three other southern cities, and the Saudi-led coalition reported that thirteen civilians sustained injuries during the attacks.

Recent Houthi advances, which include the seizure of Perim Island at the mouth of the Red Sea, have placed additional strain on Saudi oil exports. This pressure intensified after a Thursday aerial strike knocked Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline offline, an attack that Riyadh attributed to Iranian-backed militias operating in Iraq. Saudi Arabia constructed this 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) pipeline across its territory from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea during the 1980s to bypass the Strait of Hormuz when it faced threats during the Iran-Iraq war. Traders warned that a prolonged shutdown of this pipeline could sever up to 4% of global oil supplies while the strait remains largely blockaded, though Saudi authorities have not disclosed when operations might resume.

In response to the offensive, Saudi and Yemeni air forces have intensified aerial bombardments against Houthi targets, particularly around the historic Red Sea port of Mocha. However, Houthi forces have retained effective control over nearly the entire western coastline of Yemen along the Red Sea, according to officials representing Yemen’s internationally recognized government. A Yemeni official stated, “The Houthis are facing immense pressure. In return, they are applying increasing pressure on the Saudis, escalating their missile and drone campaigns.”

Crude oil prices surged by more than 4% on Monday before eventually settling approximately 1% higher.

AMERICANS HESITANT TO STEP IN. The renewed Yemen conflict presents another significant challenge for U.S. President Donald Trump. Three sources informed Reuters that Washington has thus far declined Saudi requests for direct military intervention beyond intelligence assistance. Trump stated over the weekend that he had spoken with the Saudi crown prince, adding that the Houthis had also reached out to Washington, urging the United States to remain outside the conflict. Saudi state media reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met U.S. regional commander Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah on Monday.

Saudi Arabia has led a coalition against the Houthis since 2015, though the conflict had largely subsided under a recent ceasefire. However, fighting reignited this month as the Houthis pushed back forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

HOPES FOR DIPLOMACY FADE. Oman was scheduled to host a meeting on Monday with Iran and Gulf states to discuss negotiations aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that previously facilitated 20% of the world’s oil exports. However, Oman announced that the meeting had been postponed. Iran stated that the postponement was requested by Saudi Arabia.

On Monday, Trump reiterated his frequent claim that Iran was eager to negotiate a swift agreement. However, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, dismissed the president’s remarks as a distraction, stating on X, “No talks until Iran’s conditions are met.” Conflicting reports regarding the damage to an oil tanker underscored the volatility of shipping through the region. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed, without specifying a date, that the Panamanian-flagged tanker El Gaia struck sea mines while transiting a prohibited zone south of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran’s Fars news agency on Monday. Conversely, the U.S. military’s Central Command immediately refuted the report, asserting the tanker was “struck by an Iranian missile last month and rendered inoperable.” The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization reported that the El Gaia was damaged on Saturday, though it did not specify the cause and noted that two seafarers were missing. Reuters was unable to immediately contact the ship’s owners in Dubai to verify any of these accounts.

The world’s most critical oil shipping lane has been largely shut down since the war began on February 28, as Iran has threatened vessels transiting the waterway without its authorization. “The IRGC Navy firmly declares that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and remains under our smart control,” the Revolutionary Guards stated in a declaration.

Source link