The Houthis' escalation in the war against Saudi Arabia
The Houthis launched an aggressive military blitz, seizing strategic points in the Red Sea and attacking deep inside Saudi Arabia. Riyadh is required to protect its oil facilities and shipping lanes, but the US chooses restraint. An expert from Ben-Gurion University explains the options remaining for Riyadh and the implications for Israel's relations with Arab countries.
The Houthis launched an aggressive military blitz against Saudi Arabia, during which they seized several strategic points in the Red Sea and attacked deep inside the kingdom. Riyadh is required to protect its oil facilities and ensure shipping lanes remain open, but its ally the US chooses restraint rather than attack. Michal Yaari, an expert on Gulf states from Ben-Gurion University, explains that in the last two weeks the Houthis have been seen taking a very aggressive move along the coast: they are taking over a strategic port city and important islands, and appear to be on their way to taking control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait. They are declaring a ban on passage for Saudi ships. According to her, the Houthis' success has two main reasons: the weakness of the Yemeni forces they are fighting against, and Saudi Arabia's and its allies' unwillingness to get entangled in another conflict. The Houthis are hitting shipping lanes and expanding their range of fire, including an attempted attack on energy infrastructure in Riyadh. Time is working against Saudi Arabia and its options are far from providing full protection. This is an asymmetric war where the weak wins if it does not lose.