India's Strategic Concerns Over Houthi Escalation and the Mecca Pact

Iran-backed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have escalated West Asia toward a wider regional conflict, threatening shipping lanes and energy markets. The escalation draws in Saudi Arabia, Iran, the US, Pakistan, Turkey, and Israel, with direct implications for India's security and energy interests. The Houthis, a potent non-state force, have targeted Saudi energy infrastructure and contested influence near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, disrupting Red Sea-Suez cargo flows and raising oil market uncertainty. Their use of ballistic missiles and drones makes them difficult to defeat through conventional airpower, while tensions around the Strait of Hormuz compound global energy security risks. India, importing roughly 85 percent of its crude oil, faces potential impacts on import bills and inflation. The so-called Mecca Pact involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan could enhance Pakistan's military capacity or form a political bloc on issues like Kashmir, while US action over Russian oil purchases may stress India-US ties.