Houthi Red Sea attacks push Yemen toward renewed war
Why it matters: A threat to Bab el-Mandeb, alongside disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, could squeeze oil exports and global trade routes.
Houthi attacks on Saudi shipping and infrastructure are raising the risk that Yemen’s long-frozen war could flare again as the wider Iran-US conflict intensifies. The Iran-aligned group said it was imposing a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and has claimed attacks on two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, while also targeting Abha International Airport. Yemeni officials, diplomats and analysts told Reuters that forces on both sides have been building up along front lines in northwestern Yemen. The escalation threatens traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint linking the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, and comes as shippers already face disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. UN envoy Hans Grundberg said his de-escalation efforts were continuing after talks in Oman and Saudi Arabia.