US Iran Conflict: Houthi attack on Saudi Aramco, Bayraktar drone destroyed in Red Sea and blockade on sea routes

The direct military conflict between America and Iran may have stopped temporarily, but Iran has laid a heap of gunpowder on the surface of the Middle East (West Asia) which does not seem to subside for many years to come. Iran has fully activated its powerful ‘proxy networks’ to drive America out of the Arab region and make neighboring countries bow before it. Even after the Trump administration stopped the bombing, Iran has made up its mind to drag on this fight indefinitely. From Yemen’s Houthi rebels to Iraq’s militant groups, Iran’s allies have thrown the entire Arab region into a strategic crisis. Drone attack on Aramco refinery and claim of shooting down the state-of-the-art ‘Akinqi’ drone. The most dangerous effect of this aggressive strategy of Iran has been seen on Saudi Arabia, a major ally of America. Houthi rebels have launched a devastating attack with a suicide drone on the world’s largest oil refinery—’Saudi Aramco’—which is considered the economic backbone of Saudi Arabia. Following the attack, a huge plume of smoke was seen billowing over the refinery’s storage tank area and main pipeline section. Although the refinery’s main utility zone is safe, there is a possibility of a long-term halt in oil production and processing due to damage to pipelines and the risks posed by repairs. Along with this, the Houthis have created a sensation among the security agencies by making a big claim of shooting down Saudi Arabia’s most modern ‘Bayraktar Akinci’ drone flying in the sky of Al-Jouf province. A network of sea-mines laid in Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, a break on the movement of ships, Iran has not only targeted land targets, but has also established its complete dominance over the two most important sea routes of global oil trade. The first gateway is the Strait of Hormuz, where the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) have laid a large number of ‘sea mines’ in both inbound and outbound shipping lanes, bringing the entire sea route to a standstill despite a US Navy blockade. On the other hand, the ‘Bab al-Mandab Strait’ located at the mouth of the Red Sea has been captured by Houthi rebels. The Houthis have created a threat in the Red Sea by continuously attacking commercial ships passing through this route and blocking Saudi Arabia’s oil pipeline. Global trade halted: Traffic limited on 11 ships, sound of dire economic crisis. This double strategic maze of Iranian fighters has had a direct impact on international trade and the global supply chain. According to statistics, the number of cargo ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait has fallen to its historical low. On Sunday, only 11 cargo ships could pass through this very busy route, which shows to what extent the Houthi blockade has been effective. This Iranian strategy of draining global ports and directly hurting the Saudi economy has brought the entire world to the brink of a severe energy crisis and economic collapse.