Kenneth Glad
When a distant conflict stretches on for months, the fallout inevitably reaches everyday life. Global trade routes are shifting, and fuel prices are climbing at the pump as a sudden military advance scrambles the map.
Mokha, a vital Yemeni coastal city has fallen to Houthi rebel forces, an armed Shia Islamist group aligned with Tehran. Taking the city puts the insurgent movement right next to the Bab el-Mandeb waterway, a narrow maritime corridor that normally handles about 12 per cent of all global shipping.
The sudden port takeover sent shockwaves through international energy markets. As fears grew over potential disruptions to commercial vessels in the Red Sea, oil prices spiked to $108 a barrel.
Despite the growing economic chaos and rising energy costs, the US president remains defiant about his decision to initiate the military campaign. Speaking to Fox News, Donald Trump brushed off concerns over how the prolonged conflict might impact Republicans in upcoming midterm elections.
“I don’t believe in the word ‘regret’,” he said in the interview. He firmly rejected any hint of a mistake, adding: “If I had it do again, I would do exactly as I did.”
Pleas for intervention
The rebel victories have deeply unsettled leadership in Riyadh. Mohammed bin Salman made two phone calls to Washington on Thursday.
During those conversations, the Saudi crown prince pressed the American president to attack the Houthi forces directly, according to Axios. Trump reportedly turned him down.
Washington prefers to keep regional partners fighting on the ground while focusing US efforts on maritime security.
American boots are already on the ground in a supporting role, however. CNN noted that more than 100 US military advisers are stationed in Saudi Arabia to help local troops analyse battlefield data in real time.
Tensions on the water
The struggle for control is just as fierce at sea. A waterborne American drone was scooped up near the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian naval forces, according to Al Jazeera.
Officials from Tehran mocked the US military over the incident. They claimed they captured the vessel and “picked it up like a plastic bottle”.
Diplomatic threats are escalating at the same pace. A senior Iranian military figure hinted that his country might walk away from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty after a recent UN resolution referred Tehran to the Security Council.
The geopolitical shockwaves are even reaching Europe. The Metropolitan Police in London arrested two individuals suspected of helping Iranian intelligence, while the Office for National Statistics reported that UK economic growth hit 0.4 per cent in July despite the conflict.
Sources: Fox News, Axios, Al Jazeera
