"Things that took Hezbollah 20 years to develop, the Houthis developed in five years"

Saudi Arabia has launched a new solution for transferring crude oil off the port of Sohar in Oman, amid the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz and the Houthi takeover of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Oil prices fell slightly, but in China they reached an all-time high. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia turned to France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt for assistance with air defense due to the depletion of American interceptor stocks. The Houthis launched a drone toward Mecca, and Riyadh defined this as crossing a red line.

Saudi Arabia has found a temporary solution to the oil crisis caused by the Houthi takeover of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and damage to the "East-West" pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. According to a Reuters report, the Saudis are now transferring crude oil between ships off the port of Sohar in Oman, from where the oil is sent to refineries in Asia. Oil prices responded with a slight decline: Brent fell by 2.7% to $105.83, and WTI by 3.1% to $102.51. However, in China, a historic record of $129 per barrel was recorded in Shanghai futures contracts. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is facing a severe shortage of interceptor missiles. According to AP, Riyadh turned to France, Britain, Pakistan, and Egypt for assistance with air defense, after American interceptor stocks were depleted in recent months. The Houthis launched a drone toward the city of Mecca, about 1,100 kilometers from the Yemeni border. Riyadh defined this as crossing a red line, although the Houthis deny the launch. This morning, the Houthis claimed to have shot down an F-15 of the Saudi coalition over Marib province, without evidence. On the other hand, according to Reuters, in a secret meeting in Oman earlier this week, the Houthis told the US that they would not attack American or Israeli vessels, only Saudi ones. Michael Knights, an expert on Yemeni rebels, told AP that the Houthis are Iran's most committed and aggressive ally, and have developed in five years capabilities that took Hezbollah 20 years.