Houthi escalation, Mecca Pact: Why India is watching West Asia closely | Point Blank

The latest Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have pushed an already volatile Middle East closer to a wider regional confrontation. What began as a conflict rooted in Yemen is now spilling across borders, threatening vital shipping lanes, disrupting energy markets and drawing in Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United States, Pakistan, Turkey and Israel.In a conversation with Hindustan Times Senior Anchor Aayesha Varma, HT Executive Editor Shishir Gupta described the situation as an “endless wars” scenario—one in which military conflict, sectarian rivalries, great-power politics and domestic electoral pressures are all converging at once. The result, he argued, is a dangerous and unstable global environment with direct implications for India’s security and energy interests. A Yemen Conflict With Global StakesAt the centre of the latest escalation are the Iran-backed Houthis, who have emerged as one of the most potent non-state military forces in West Asia.