The Houthis’ Saudi attacks are ‘unprecedented.’ Trump wants to ‘ignore’ until the midterms, but the chaos may force U.S. to respond
The Houthis are "misbehaving very badly," but the U.S. is doing little in reply—for now.
The Yemeni Houthis have ramped up their attacks on Saudi Arabia and Iran, leading to a "new October window of escalation" in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump has accused the Houthis of "behaving very badly" but has largely avoided military action, citing concerns about the upcoming midterms and the impact on gasoline and diesel prices.
A missile strike recently hit Saudi Aramco headquarters, killing at least 20 people, including a U.S. citizen. The Houthis have vowed to continue targeting energy facilities and airports. Experts suggest that the U.S. response is limited due to the complexity of the situation and the potential consequences. The Strait of Hormuz's oil traffic has slowed down, and the International Energy Agency reported that September oil volumes out of the Middle East have risen to 75% of pre-war levels.
The U.S. had promised "tanker-for-tanker" actions, but thus far, it seems the administration is waiting to see how the situation unfolds before taking further steps.
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