Scott Ritter: Yemen Strike Saudi Oil Tanker "Wafa" – U.S. Munitions Depleted, Trump Cornered (Video)

In this 5 August 2026 published video, host Nima R. Alkhorshid talks with Scott Ritter about the continuing war in Iran and surrounding areas.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels successfully struck a Saudi oil tanker named the Wafa with multiple ballistic missiles near the port city of Yanbu. The attack, which took place in late July 2026, marks an escalation in the Houthis’ self-declared maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia. Critics and analysts argue this has left the Trump administration cornered as prolonged regional conflicts severely deplete localized U.S. munitions reserves.

The Saudi oil tanker Wafa was hit in a precise operation near the Red Sea port city of Yanbu. Houthi spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced that the strike is part of an ongoing maritime blockade targeting Saudi oil lifelines. The blockade was launched on July 22, 2026, following Saudi airstrikes on Sana’a International Airport. The Houthis claim to have targeted eight Saudi tankers. This has forced nearly 30 others to alter their routes, disrupting one of the world’s most critical energy shipping lanes. Concurrent drone strikes also damaged radar systems at Saudi Arabia’s Najran Airport, forcing a temporary suspension of flights.

The escalating conflict, which ties directly into the broader regional confrontation involving Iran, has placed severe logistical pressure on the United States. Military commentators point out that munitions qualitatively allocated for Middle Eastern operations are effectively exhausted. To sustain prolonged anti-missile and air campaigns against regional threats, the Pentagon would be forced to draw down strategic war reserves stockpiled in Europe and the Pacific. Experts warn that shifting these reserves to the Middle East leaves the U.S. vulnerable and under-equipped to address potential near-peer conflicts involving China in East Asia or Russia in Europe. President Trump faces a difficult policy deadlock—either pull back and allow major energy shipping lanes to destabilize, or continue expending vital military hardware, thereby compromising broader American global deterrence.

https://youtu.be/YkowZZrcgj4