Houthis are the world’s biggest new threat to global oil supply — and US ally infighting is to blame

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels are now the biggest threat to the world’s oil supply after their latest attacks in Yemen and Saudi Arabia — with the terror group taking advantage of infighting among US allies in the Gulf.

In the past week, the rebel group has effectively taken over the critical Bab al-Mandeb Strait and are accused of masterminding the strike on the Saudi’s massive East-West oil pipeline, which has likely shut it down for weeks.

The disruption threatens the flow of oil from Saudi Arabia, the world’s second-largest supplier of crude, with the price of a barrel of oil jumping to $108 on Tuesday.

Yemen had enjoyed a weak truce since 2022 between the Houthi rebels and the country’s internationally-recognized government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia.

Third-party, anti-Houthi groups backed by the United Arab Emirates, however, also helped maintain the peace until a dispute broke out in December.

Saudi forces bombed weapons arriving for the UAE-backed groups, leading Abu Dhabi to withdraw from the conflict entirely and fracturing the anti-Houthi alliance, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The infighting was especially harmful to the alliance given that the UAE-backed forces controlled Perim Island, which lies right in the middle of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The island and key ports along the coast of Yemen quickly fell to the Houthi’s lightning assault over the weekend, allowing the terror group to threaten any Saudi vessel attempting to cross the 20-mile-wide strait.

The waterway had become Saudi Arabia’s main export route after Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, with the kingdom now left with only the Suez Canal, a path that adds weeks to oil tankers journeys.

With the united Houthis facing splintered groups, the bulk of the pressure to respond has fallen on Saudi Arabia, which has been criticized for reacting too slowly to the situation.

The kingdom, already dealing with Iran, allegedly failed to answer calls from Yemen for airstrike support against the terror groups’ assault, anti-Houthi officials told the WSJ.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had spoken to President Trump last week to ask for US military aid, but the president reportedly said he would do everything but fire new attacks, according to multiple reports.

Saudi Arabia’s crude exports are expected to take another hit after exports from its main Red Sea port already dropped by nearly half last month to just 2.5 million barrels a day.

The kingdom also only has about five to seven days of exports currently available at its port of Yanbu following the attack on the 745-mile-long East-West Pipeline, industry insiders told The Guardian.