Will Yemen’s Houthis open new front in Middle East conflict?
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia has announced it is closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Saudi ships, in a “maritime embargo” that could further disrupt global energy supplies. The strait, a “strategic. . .
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia has announced it is closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Saudi ships, in a “maritime embargo” that could further disrupt global energy supplies. The strait, a “strategic gateway” linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, is “one of theworld’s most important oil transit routes”, said US-funded Arabic news serviceAlhurra. And, in recent days, Iran has reportedly been calling on the Houthis to block the strait to all oil tanker traffic passing through it. Closing off the Bab al-Mandab “chokepoint” on the sea path many oil tankers are now taking to avoid the Strait of Hormuz could seriously “squeeze the global economy” and “add another layer of complexity” to the Middle East conflict, saidThe Wall Street Journal. The WeekEscape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE & SAVESign up for The Week's Free NewslettersFrom our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. Join 350,000+ subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles. Explore MoreIran warIran