The Straits Times of Singapore reported on the evening of September 13: "The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen swiftly captured the Red Sea city of Mocha and the strategic key island of Mayun in just 36 hours, triggering mutual accusations among U.S. allies. Middle Eastern sources described this as a 'historic blunder' by the United States and Saudi Arabia; Western sources said, 'Saudi Arabia abandoned Yemen.'
From the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the U.S.-Israel joint campaign against Iran has not achieved the swift victory envisioned by Trump, but instead has caused the Middle East war to continue spreading outward.
Since the U.S. and Israel launched military action against Iran, navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly come to a standstill. Now, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is also under control of the Iran-supported Houthi forces. With both of the world’s two major energy chokepoints now in crisis, if the "two straits" are simultaneously blocked, approximately 25% of global oil and natural gas supplies would be disrupted, leading to a further systemic shock to energy security. Oil prices have already rebounded above $100 per barrel, and market pricing logic is shifting from "how much oil is produced" to "can oil still be safely delivered."
All of this stems from the United States. The U.S. and Israel initiated hostilities, yet failed to control the course of events—resulting only in getting mired in a quagmire with no way forward or backward. They demand allies cooperate to contain Iran, yet stood idly by when Saudi Arabia sought help. The escalation of conflict in the Middle East is an inevitable outcome of American hegemonic logic, while the bill for global energy security and ordinary consumers continues to mount.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1876237968892040/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.