Saudi Arabian cities are bracing for a potential second day of Houthi missile strikes as ongoing conflicts in Yemen have prompted the United Nations to issue warnings about a humanitarian crisis, with 100,000 individuals already displaced.
With oil prices remaining significantly above $100 per barrel, Qatar has cautioned that a disaster could ensue if the Iran-supported Houthi militants gain full control over the Bab al-Mandab strait, a crucial maritime passage at the southern end of the Red Sea that serves as a key shipping route to Asia. This strait has become increasingly important for Saudi Arabia’s crude oil exports, particularly as tensions in the wider Middle East have restricted activities in the Strait of Hormuz.
An emergency session of the UN Security Council in New York featured repeated appeals for the Houthi forces to exercise restraint. In a move indicating Iran’s desire for a broader resolution, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Beijing to explore China’s potential involvement in addressing the ongoing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
The future status of the Strait of Hormuz—through which a substantial portion of the world’s oil and gas supplies transit during peacetime—is pivotal in resolving the diplomatic standoff between the United States and Iran, as well as the intertwined conflicts involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.
Oil prices surged sharply following a report from Reuters indicating that operations at Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port on the Red Sea had been halted, as confirmed by sources within the shipping industry. The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, increased nearly 3%, reaching $108 per barrel.
This week’s price hike follows Saudi Aramco’s closure of the East-West pipeline after a Houthi attack. Since the onset of hostilities involving the US and Israel against Iran in late February, Aramco had been increasingly relying on the Yanbu terminal.
Qatar, acting as a mediator in the conflict involving Iran, is working to reschedule a meeting that was postponed on Monday between Iran and several Gulf Cooperation Council nations. Saudi Arabia insisted on delaying the talks, protesting what it perceives as Iranian-backed Houthi assaults on Saudi territory.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for a significant attack involving “dozens of ballistic missiles and drones” targeted at the King Khalid airbase in Khamis Mushait, southern Saudi Arabia. Air raid alerts were triggered in six governorates, including Jeddah, on Tuesday. Although the warnings were lifted quickly, they underscore an unprecedented level of insecurity within Saudi Arabia.
The meeting in Oman was intended to facilitate a regional consensus on an approved route for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio communicated with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi on Tuesday, expressing concerns that Oman might grant excessive control of the waterway to Iran.
Should both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab strait fall under the long-term dominance of anti-Western entities, it would represent a significant strategic setback for the United States and Europe.
Ibrahim al-Hashmi, a representative from Qatar’s foreign ministry, stated, “The world is already facing challenges due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and we cannot afford to complicate matters further by adding the Bab al-Mandab to that list.” He warned that the closure of this southern entrance to the Red Sea would have dire global implications, and the consequences are already becoming evident.
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained largely halted on Monday and Tuesday, with a Qatari vessel disabled by Iranian forces and only four ships recorded transiting the strait on Monday, compared to a pre-war average of approximately 130 ships.
Former President Donald Trump has thus far dismissed Saudi Arabia’s requests for military assistance to repel the Houthis along the Red Sea coast. Houthi leaders have also engaged with US Vice President JD Vance, assuring the White House that their aims are solely to disrupt Saudi maritime operations and to end what they view as a blockade of Houthi-controlled areas. While the Houthis have signed a ceasefire agreement with the US, they remain under US sanctions.
The UK is unlikely to provide direct military support to Saudi Arabia unless there is explicit direction from Washington. Within Yemen, the next military focus is expected to shift to the city of Marib, where Saudi airstrikes are targeting Houthi positions.
Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has remarked, “If the world seeks stability and tranquility in the region, it must advise Saudi Arabia to cease its interference in Yemeni affairs.”
Rather than offering direct military backing, Western nations are predominantly supplying intelligence and strategic assistance to coordinate anti-Houthi efforts in Yemen.
Maysaa Shuja al-Deen from the Sana’a Centre emphasized that any renewed military operations must be accompanied by a thorough reassessment of past strategies, meaningful reforms within the Yemeni government, improved coordination among anti-Houthi factions, and a more equitable relationship between Yemeni entities and their regional partners.
She noted, “Often, the Saudis select Yemeni leaders who are weak and easily influenced, rather than opting for competent individuals capable of executing a unified agenda. This would not only strengthen their position but also earn them respect from other capable Yemeni figures.”
This approach contrasts sharply with the strategies employed by Iran and the UAE, which tend to afford their local allies greater autonomy while establishing partnerships based on specific goals and clearer directives.
Due to the fragility of the UN-recognized government in Yemen, various militias with distinct ideological and regional affiliations operate alongside the official national army. Although the total number of anti-Houthi forces could theoretically reach 500,000 troops, in practice, not all factions collaborate or are willing to engage beyond their localized areas.
