All articles tagged with #bab el mandeb
Iran-backed Houthis have launched a rapid offensive to seize control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This move threatens global shipping routes and energy supplies, forcing Saudi Arabia to respond with airstrikes while the U.S. weighs its commitments to the region.
Washington approved a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, including 49 Pratt & Whitney engines and spare parts, saying the package supports a key non-NATO ally without changing the regional military balance; it comes as Iran-backed Houthis escalate attacks and seek control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Congress has 30 days to review or block the deal amid concerns about sensitive U.S. technology and Riyadh’s ties to China.
The Houthis rapidly seized much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast including Bab el-Mandeb, displacing over 100,000 people and signaling new Iranian leverage in the conflict. While framed as a sovereign, Yemen-centric move that could press Saudi Arabia back to diplomacy, experts warn the gains may cost the rebels legitimacy if they cannot translate battlefield successes into a political bargain or governance for all Yemenis, risking a longer, more costly escalation that could harm civilians and complicate any eventual settlement.
President Trump says the U.S. is “hopefully toward the end” of its seven-month war with Iran as Iran-backed Houthis widen attacks in Yemen, threatening Saudi targets and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which could disrupt global oil flows and spur Gulf states to map a postwar strategy amid pipeline disruptions and fluctuating prices.
Iran-backed Houthis have built a sprawling, sanctions-evading financial network—linking ports, tariffs, oil, hawala, crypto, and foreign partners across Russia, Turkey and Asia—to fund territorial advances toward the Bab el-Mandeb strait; Treasury says the group earns over $2 billion a year, complicating efforts to cut off funding without harming civilians. The system’s cross-border reach and adaptability make it a formidable challenge, requiring pressure at points where Houthi money touches the formal financial system, all while navigating Yemen’s humanitarian crisis.
Iran-backed Houthis capture the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands near Bab el-Mandeb, expanding their control of the Red Sea shipping choke point after taking Mokha and Perim, while escalating attacks on Saudi targets and prompting displacement and humanitarian concerns as the conflict ripples through Yemen and the region.
Iran-backed Houthis have captured Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, adding a new flashpoint to a vital Red Sea shipping chokepoint. A former Pentagon official warned the volcanic rock is vulnerable and could become a U.S. “kill box,” with Washington able to strike but signaling it may prefer intelligence-sharing and diplomacy as regional actors weigh potential military actions and efforts to keep sea lanes open.
Iran-linked Houthi forces have surged along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, seizing key shorelines and islands and threatening to choke the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a major global oil-and-trade chokepoint. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government is responding with airstrikes, while the United States says it will not intervene directly but will assist with intelligence to protect navigation, highlighting Iran’s leverage and the risk to global energy markets and US regional strategy.
Iran and its Houthi allies are escalating disruptions to two major global shipping chokepoints—the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb—after seizing Perim Island. The move threatens oil and other goods shipments, pushing oil prices higher as vessels reroute and energy supplies tighten, with analysts warning of continued inflationary pressure and broader economic risks that could include a global recession if disruptions persist.
Iran‑backed Houthi forces captured Perim island and the port of Mocha, then pressed toward Dhubab to consolidate control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline along Bab el-Mandeb. The move heightens threats to a key global shipping lane and could disrupt oil exports, potentially pushing energy prices higher, as displacement rises and the regional conflict broadens; analysts caution that even partial control would significantly strengthen the Houthis’ leverage without granting full sovereignty over the strait.
Oil prices could top about $120 per barrel by year-end if fighting in the Middle East persists, as Houthi advances threaten Red Sea shipping via Bab el-Mandeb and Hormuz, pushing Brent and WTI above $100 and fueling bets on tighter inflation and possible rate hikes.
A cargo ship off Yemen was struck by unknown projectiles and declared a complete constructive loss, with UKMTO noting the vessel was unmanned and authorities are investigating. The incident underscores a deteriorating security picture in the southern Red Sea, including the closure of Al Mokha port and a substantial threat level in Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz, amid a series of attacks that followed an Aug. 11 strike near Al Mukha.
Houthis’ escalating strikes on shipping through Bab el‑Mandeb raise fears the Red Sea chokepoint could become a second Strait of Hormuz, complicating U.S. and allied efforts to keep sea lanes open amid the broader U.S.–Iran conflict. Security along the strait is hampered by Yemen’s fragmentation and Houthi control of territory, making naval power alone insufficient. In response, regional coalitions and defense pacts—such as the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement and a multinational maritime coalition—seek to protect navigation, while the U.S. stresses freedom of navigation and sanctions against Iran-linked groups. Analysts caution against treating Bab el-Mandeb as a direct Hormuz analogue, noting that alternative routes exist and that securing the waterway may require ground presence and regional cooperation beyond naval force.
Four crewmembers were killed when Iran-backed Houthis attacked the Egyptian-owned cargo ship Tihamah in Bab el-Mandeb—three Pakistanis and one Indonesian—while two rescuers from an anti-Houthi group were killed during a follow-up rescue; ten people were injured. Separately, U.S. forces fired two Hellfire missiles at the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova in the Gulf of Oman, disabling its steering gear after it reportedly violated a naval blockade, underscoring ongoing shipping tensions around Yemen and Iran-linked activity.
A suspected Iran-backed Houthi attack in Bab el-Mandeb reportedly killed four crew aboard the Egyptian-owned cargo ship Tihamah, including two Pakistanis and one Indonesian (the fourth crew member's nationality not confirmed). Separately, the Panama-flagged container ship Vela Nova was reportedly struck by a missile off Pakistan, with The Wall Street Journal citing a U.S. helicopter strike on its rudder. If confirmed, these events would mark the first fatalities in Houthi-linked shipping attacks since the wider Iran conflict began and reflect broader disruptions to Red Sea–Bab el-Mandeb traffic amid a U.S.-led blockade and regional tensions.