Houthis Threaten Saudi Oil, but War Likely to Continue, Says Molavi

Oil prices have slipped to their lowest levels of the year as fears of supply disruptions from the ongoing Yemen conflict have eased. The recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian infrastructure, which many investors worried could choke the world’s oil supply, turned out to be largely ineffective. The International Energy Agency has, however, updated its projections, indicating that the war could still have a measurable impact on global oil supplies.

Amid this backdrop, the possibility of U.S. military aid to Saudi Arabia in its campaign against the Iran‑backed Houthi rebels remains a key question. Afshin Molavi, a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, told Bloomberg’s Abeer Abu Omar on the Horizons Middle East & Africa program that while the U.S. could provide significant support, it is unlikely to bring a swift end to the conflict.

Molavi noted that the Houthis possess the capacity to inflict substantial damage on Saudi oil infrastructure, but the war’s continuation is more probable than its resolution. He emphasized that any U.S. involvement would be calibrated to avoid a full-scale escalation while still countering the Houthi threat.

The market’s reaction to the latest developments underscores the delicate balance between geopolitical risk and the resilience of the global oil supply chain. Investors will continue to monitor U.S. policy decisions and the evolving dynamics in Yemen as the conflict persists.