Houthi Attacks Expose Saudi Arabia’s Vulnerabilities Amid Nuclear Ambitions

While Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pursues grand regional alliances and nuclear power ambitions, recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Aramco oil facilities reveal the kingdom’s military weaknesses. The strikes on strategic oil sites in Jizan and Bina’a at the end of July have humiliated Riyadh, undermining its image as a dominant regional power. Houthi official Hazem Al-Asad mocked Saudi Arabia on social media, stating the kingdom would need an international coalition just to extinguish fires caused by the attacks, questioning its ability to survive a real war.

Pro-Iranian channels in Iraq circulated viral memes ridiculing bin Salman, showing him hiding behind Turkish President Erdogan and doubting the effectiveness of Saudi Arabia’s new military alliances. Former Israeli National Security Council head Professor Yaakov Nagel bluntly described Saudi Arabia as a "paper tiger," noting that despite its wealth and advanced weaponry, the kingdom fails to effectively utilize its military power on the ground.

The ongoing conflict with the Houthis, despite Saudi technological superiority, highlights that financial resources alone cannot guarantee combat effectiveness. Riyadh’s restrained response, driven by fears of economic paralysis and damage to its oil industry and Vision 2030 plan, has led to a 4.8% contraction in the Saudi economy last quarter. Attempts to negotiate through Omani mediators are seen as concessions to the Houthis, who demand Saudi payments for Yemeni state employees.

The August 7 mutual defense pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, touted as a regional NATO, is widely mocked on social media as unlikely to result in real military support for Saudi oil fields. Analysts view the pact more as a diplomatic maneuver to pressure the US, which has restrained Saudi military actions, rather than a genuine shift in the regional power balance against Iran and its proxies. Ultimately, while Saudi Arabia projects power, the Houthis demonstrate that even with outdated weapons, they can challenge a kingdom that assumed global dominance.