Fallout Spreads Across the Middle East as the Iran War Grinds On

By Editorial Dept - Aug 14, 2026, 7:00 AM CDT Politics, Geopolitics & ConflictYemen’s Houthis said they targeted Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery with two drones on Thursday, the second claimed attack on the Red Sea facility in less than a week and the third since July 25. Neither Saudi Arabia nor Aramco has confirmed the attack as of the time of writing. Bloomberg cited a person familiar with the incident as saying a storage tank sustained negligible damage. Last month, the Houthis threatened to blockade Saudi oil flows and have also attacked Saudi targets and shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb, while military activity is increasing along Yemen’s internal front lines. The US-Iran war is threatening to return Yemen to a state of active civil war after a 2022 truce that saw an end to large-scale fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.Iran attacked two vessels linked to the UAE’s state-owned ADNOC as they transited Hormuz on Thursday, with no injuries reported and apparently limited damage. The UAE condemned what it called a “hostile Iranian attack,” while ADNOC said the situation had been brought under control.The U.S. says it can blockade Iran indefinitely, but the strain is already tangible. Defense Secretary Hegseth said the Navy can simply rotate ships, with the USS George Washington heading to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln after more than 250 days of deployment. The Lincoln has gone more than 200 days without a port call, and there are confirmed reports of suicide… COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP (FREE) GLOBAL ENERGY ALERT ($697 $279 PER YEAR) Breaking energy stories before they hit the mainstream media Top quality analysis from industry veterans Exclusive investment opportunities Digestible data breakdowns Geopolitical insights from our network of over 600 operatives Risk-free 30-day money back guarantee