WASHINGTON: US Republican Senator John McCain has applauded the offensive launched by Saudi Arabia and its allies against Yemen, speculating that the conflict will probably escalate into a regional war in the Middle East.
McCain said on Thursday Saudi Arabia and its allies did the right thing by launching the offensive against the country.
The Armed Services chairman added the invasion saved oil exports from the Middle East because if Yemen were to fall, it could choke off oil exports from the region.
Oil tankers carry almost four million barrels daily through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. The strait is 18 miles wide at its narrowest point.
The offensive has raised concerns about the vulnerability of the Bab el-Mandeb strait between Yemen and Djibouti, which has been identified by the US Department of Energy as a potential chokepoint in the global oil market.
The tankers carry crude on a daily basis through the Red Sea and Suez Canal to Europe. Oil supplies to the United States take a longer route around the southern tip of Africa.