Houthis blitz Yemen's Red Sea coastline in push to seize Bab el-Mandeb

# Why This Matters The Houthis' offensive to control Bab el-Mandeb represents a direct threat to global commerce and energy security, as the strait handles roughly 12% of worldwide maritime trade and is the primary route for oil shipments from the Middle East to Europe. If the Iranian-backed militia succeeds in consolidating control over the Red Sea coastline, they could effectively replicate the blockade leverage Iran wields at the Strait of Hormuz, allowing them to tax, delay, or interdict shipping and dramatically increase insurance costs for vessels transiting the region. Such disruption would ripple across global supply chains, potentially raising fuel prices and consumer goods costs worldwide while forcing major shipping companies to reroute around Africa—a significantly longer and costlier journey. This also signals an expansion of Iran's proxy network's ability to project power and create leverage in regional disputes, likely emboldening similar strategies elsewhere and further destabilizing an already fragmented Middle East.