How Houthi attacks are testing Saudi Arabia's defenses
October 15, 2026
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ask ian
Ian Bremmer takes a look at the week's top stories in geopolitics.
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In this ‘ask ian,’ Ian Bremmer explains how the US blockade of Iran and Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia are driving disruptions of global energy and shipping across the Middle East.
Ian says the US blockade has been effective at keeping Iran from getting oil out. The economic pressure is squeezing Iran's economy and its leaders. Iran has responded by sharply increasing its attacks on ships. The US has answered with strikes on small Iranian vessels in the strait.
Ian questions how long that can last. If Iran is allowed to continue, he says, "they're going to have a lot more influence over the strait and oil prices are going to continue to rise, which Trump will find unacceptable." But Ian adds that President Donald Trump doesn't want to escalate further until the midterms are over.
Meanwhile, the Houthis are carrying out their own attack against Saudi Arabia, hitting Riyadh's main international airport and Saudi Aramco's headquarters in Dhahran. Ian says the group wants the Saudis to back down and pay them off, but it doesn't want the US to enter the fight.
Ian says that, for now, the war is still contained because none of the sides want a sudden, sharp escalation. But each is trying to show it has more leverage than its adversaries will acknowledge, in hopes of improving its position in an eventual ceasefire.
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