The American Times News | Economy, Geopolitics, Calculators

Saudi-Houthi fighting intensified in September as the Houthis expanded their military position along Yemen's Red Sea coast and Saudi Arabia faced repeated missile and drone threats. The escalation has produced two very different kinds of incidents. One involved a Houthi claim that a Saudi F-15 fighter had been shot down over Marib. The other was a confirmed Saudi report of a deadly drone-debris incident in Taif province in which an intercepted Houthi drone caused civilian casualties. The two events should not be treated as equivalent because the aircraft claim remains publicly unconfirmed, while Saudi authorities officially reported the Taif casualties and property damage. That distinction is important when tracking a conflict in which battlefield claims can spread faster than independent verification. One War, Two Very Different Pieces of Evidence The F-15 episode began on September 16, when Houthi military officials said they had shot down a Saudi F-15 over Marib and released foo...

$38.1 billion. That is the latest estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office for what the U.S. Department of Defense had spent on combat operations against Iran through August 1, 2026. That figure is higher than the earlier $33.4 billion estimate released by the Pentagon's inspector general, which covered costs through late June. The number matters on its own. What makes it more significant is what is happening at the same time roughly 1,000 miles away: Houthi forces have expanded their position along Yemen's Red Sea coast, Saudi Arabia has been working to restore oil-export infrastructure after a September drone attack, and crude prices remain elevated as several regional supply routes face pressure. Inside the Pentagon's $33.4 Billion Bill The inspector general's report, the first mandatory public accounting of Operation Epic Fury, breaks the earlier number down in useful detail. The Department of War estimated the operation at $33.4 billion as of June ...

The Houthi advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast has altered the strategic picture around one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. The movement seized the port city of Mocha in September and moved toward strategically important Red Sea islands near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The advance has raised new concerns for commercial shipping, Saudi oil exports , and the wider security of the Red Sea. Reuters and The Associated Press have both reported that the Houthi expansion has brought the group closer to the maritime gateway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Why Does Mocha Matter? Mocha is not simply another coastal city. Its location places it close to the southern Red Sea approaches and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait . Control of coastal territory in this area gives an armed group greater geographic access to routes used by ships traveling between Europe and Asia. Reuters reported that Houthi forces took Mocha on September 10 and then advanced farther along the Red Sea co...

The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye is facing its first significant security test as fighting involving Yemen’s Houthi movement spreads into Saudi territory and creates fresh risks for regional security. Signed in August, the agreement established a collective-defense framework under which an armed attack on any one of the three countries is to be regarded as an attack against all three. Its significance has become more practical as Saudi Arabia faces missile and drone threats while Houthi forces expand their position along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The question is no longer simply what the Makkah Defence Pact says on paper. It is how Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye would coordinate if attacks continue and the crisis becomes more difficult to contain. The Crisis That Is Putting the Pact Under Pressure The immediate challenge is the renewed escalation in Yemen. Houthi forces have expanded southward along the Red Sea coast, including the seizur...

  Yemen's Houthi movement has rapidly expanded along the Red Sea coast, seizing the strategic port city of Mocha and then pushing toward Bab el-Mandeb, one of world's most important maritime chokepoints. On September 10, Houthis took Mocha after government forces withdrew, Yemeni officials said. By September 11, Reuters reported Houthi forces had reached mainland town of Dhubab and captured strategic Perim Island, putting group much closer to direct control of southern entrance to Red Sea. AP News Significance goes beyond Yemen civil war. Bab el-Mandeb links Red Sea with Gulf of Aden, crucial route for ships between Indian Ocean, Suez Canal and Europe. Gains come at sensitive moment because Strait of Hormuz already heavily disrupted by wider US-Iran conflict. Saudi Arabia increasingly relied on Red Sea routes and Yanbu export infrastructure to bypass Hormuz pressure. Stronger Houthi position near Bab el-Mandeb threatens main alternative still available to Gulf exporters. [AP Ne...

Pakistan's position on the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement has become clearer as Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have intensified and the three signatory countries move to establish a practical framework for collective security. The agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye commits the three countries to mutual defense, with an attack on one member treated as an attack on all. When Pakistan initially clarified its position in September, officials said no specific military response under the agreement was being discussed. The situation has since developed significantly. What Pakistan Originally Clarified When questions first emerged after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, Pakistan sought to distinguish between political support for the agreement and an immediate military deployment. Pakistan's government said there was no specific military response being discussed at that stage. That position was important because the agreement created a mutual-defense commitment but did ...

A new wave of Houthi missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi Arabia has pushed fragile Middle Eastern energy market closer to another supply shock, with fires reported at energy facilities and at least 73 people wounded. Saudi Arabia said attacks hit civilian and economic sites in Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, while Energy Ministry said several energy-sector facilities targeted, causing fires and temporary halt in some operations. Houthis claimed responsibility and said they launched dozens of ballistic missiles and drones.Reuters Oil markets responded immediately. Brent crude rose to about $99.46 a barrel Tuesday, while US West Texas Intermediate reached roughly $94.73, both at multi-month highs. Market reaction important because latest Saudi attacks occurring while oil flows through Strait of Hormuz already severely constrained by wider US-Iran confrontation. At same time renewed Houthi attacks threaten Bab el-Mandeb route, creating pressure at two of Middle East's ...