Circle the area on this map
B. Iran lies across the Persian Gulf on Saudi Arabia’s east coast and has been supporting the Houthi rebels in Yemen on Saudi Arabia’s southern border. Saudi forces and their allies have been fighting and bombing the Houthis in Yemen. It was unclear where the drone attacks were launched.
D. The United States both produces and consumes the most oil in the world. The world’s biggest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia ranks second in production followed by Russia. Iran has been a major oil producer, but its exports plummeted after the United States quit an international nuclear deal and extended sanctions on the country. Iran has appeared increasingly desperate as its economy crashed.
C. About 20% of all oil traded worldwide passes through the Persian Gulf, and about 80% of that goes to fast-growing, energy-hungry countries in Asia, including China, Japan, India and South Korea. Gulf tankers also carry about a third of the world’s liquefied natural gas. Earlier this year, Iran was accused of sabotaging and later seized tankers in the gulf’s narrow Strait of Hormuz.
A. China spent about $250 billion on its military, far less than the $649 million spent by the United States. In fact the United States spent more than the combined spending of China, Saudi Arabia, India, France, Russia, Britain and Germany, which ranked second through eighth. While ranking third in spending, Saudi Arabia devoted more of its gross domestic product to its military than any of the other top 40 nations.