The advance of the Iranian-backed Houthis along the southern coast of Yemen has brought about a new development that could change the course of the war in West Asia.
According to Reuters, the Houthis reached Perim Island, located in the middle of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait between Yemen and Africa, on Friday.
This advance increased the group's capacity to threaten the critical sea passage at the entrance to the Red Sea.
Babülmendep Strait is known as one of the most important narrow passages of global energy and trade routes.
After the war between Iran and the USA and Israel greatly disrupted tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia turned to carrying out a significant part of its oil exports through Red Sea ports.
The Houthis' pressure on Bab al-Mandeb also puts Riyadh's alternative route at risk.
While approximately one-fifth of the world's oil supply passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the war, it is stated that if the Babülmandep is closed, approximately 7 percent of global oil shipments and approximately 12 percent of world trade may be affected.
David Schenker, who served at the US State Department during Trump's first term as president, described Hormuz and Bab al-Mandap coming under pressure from Iran and its allies at the same time as the "worst scenario".
Schenker said pressure on the two straits could provide Tehran with important strategic leverage.
The Houthis' advance has also increased pressure on US President Donald Trump as the war with Iran enters its seventh month.
While the Trump administration has recently increased economic pressure on Iran, it has been trying to limit the cost of the military conflict to the US economy.
The rise in fuel prices in the USA due to the effects of the war also increases the domestic political pressure on the Trump administration.
According to Reuters, high gasoline prices are considered to put the Republican Party's goal of maintaining its majority in Congress at risk before the midterm elections in November.
While the Trump administration is trying to protect energy prices and global trade, it does not want to engage in a direct conflict with the Houthis on a new front.
According to three sources speaking to Reuters, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump and requested military assistance from the United States against the Houthis.
It was reported that the Washington administration stated that it would not directly intervene in the conflict for now, but could provide intelligence support to Saudi Arabia.
Trump also confirmed that he met with Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday.
Trump also said that the Houthis contacted the US administration and requested that Washington not be directly involved in the conflict.
The United States is focused on preserving freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, but wants its allies to take the lead in resolving regional security issues, a senior Trump administration official said.
A direct US military operation against the Houthis could put additional pressure on American military resources, which are already heavily used in the Iran war.
According to US officials, a new operation against the Houthis could require significant air and naval power and intelligence capacity.
It is stated that if the American navy intervenes against the Houthis' missile and UAV attacks, air defense missiles and ammunition stocks may be consumed more quickly.
A senior official from the Trump administration rejected the assessments that the US army was experiencing a resource shortage and argued that the current ammunition and stocks were sufficient to meet the administration's strategic goals.
The Houthis captured Yemen's capital, Sanaa, about 12 years ago.
Despite the military intervention led by Saudi Arabia, the group maintained control over a significant part of Yemen.
Within the scope of the agreement reached by the Trump administration with the Houthis last year, it was envisaged that the group would end its attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea in return for the US stopping the bombardments.
Washington's resumption of direct military intervention would mean the de facto end of this compromise.
Former US Special Representative for Yemen Tim Lenderking said Washington should provide more intelligence support to Saudi Arabia and increase diplomatic and military support for Yemen's internationally recognized government if it avoids direct military intervention.
In his assessment at an event organized by the Middle East Institute in Washington, Lenderking said, "When this administration came to office, it was asking 'What can Yemen do for us?' Yemen could ruin our day."
