Houthi Rebels Block Oil Export Routes... Saudi Arabia Faces 'Worst Crisis'

[Anchor]

Following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the Houthi rebels' seizure of the entrance to the Red Sea is further escalating global concerns over oil supplies. Saudi Arabia, facing choked oil export routes, is responding with all-out efforts, but has failed to break the momentum of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

This report is by Yu Deok-gi.

[Reporter]

On the 15th local time, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a fierce attack on Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces in the strategic stronghold of Al-Jawf.

[Yemeni Houthi Rebels: By the grace and power of God, enemy vehicles are burning.]

The Houthis also claimed to have intercepted a Saudi F-15 fighter jet.

[Yahya Saree / Yemeni Houthi Rebels Spokesperson: With the help and grace of God, we were able to shoot down a Saudi Arabian F-15 fighter jet using domestically produced weapons.]

Driven by the unstoppable advance of the Houthi rebels, more than 100,000 refugees have been displaced within Yemen.

[Yemeni Refugee: We are in a state of extreme malnutrition with no water and no shelter. There are no toilets and no food.]

Having seized control of the area around the entrance to the Red Sea—Saudi Arabia's oil export route—the Houthis are launching drones and missiles at various locations in Saudi Arabia, including the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Jeddah.

After Saudi Arabia's requests for support were rejected by the United States as well as its military ally Pakistan, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urgently visited Egypt across the Red Sea to ask for help.

Although Saudi Arabia purchases advanced U.S. weapons with an annual defense budget of 112.36 trillion won (approximately 1.7 times that of South Korea), it is criticized as a "paper tiger" due to low military training levels and a fragmented, royal-centric command structure.

Despite winning Donald Trump's favor through US$1 trillion (about 1,000 trillion won) in investments in the U.S., Trump, facing midterm elections, has ignored Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's repeated requests to strike the Houthis.

Facing the worst security crisis since its founding in 1932, Saudi Arabia is driven into an awkward predicament where it cannot launch an all-out war against the Houthi rebels due to fears of additional damage to oil facilities and a wider conflict.

(Video Editing: Chae Chul-ho, Design: Im Chan-hyuk, Source: X@HormuzReport)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.