Houthis Seize Strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Yemen's Red Sea Coast, Threatening Global Shipping

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi forces have taken control of the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the entire Red Sea coastline of Yemen, significantly expanding their influence over a critical global shipping chokepoint. This development poses a substantial threat to international maritime commerce, particularly oil exports, with around 12% of global maritime trade passing through the strait daily. The Houthis have explicitly banned Saudi vessels from transiting the strait.