Houthis enter US 'kill box' after seizing Red Sea 'cork,' former Pentagon official warns

# Analysis The seizure of Perim Island fundamentally alters the military geometry of one of the world's most critical shipping channels, through which roughly 12% of global trade passes and nearly all Middle Eastern oil exports flow. By controlling the Bab el-Mandeb Strait's narrowest point—the so-called "cork"—the Houthis now possess the ability to interdict or tax commercial traffic without capturing a single vessel, giving an Iran-backed militia direct leverage over the economic interests of the U.S., Europe, and China. The Trump administration's apparent reluctance to challenge this fait accompli, despite Saudi Arabia's interests lying directly across the border, signals a potential recalibration of American commitments in the region and may embolden similar territorial grabs by U.S. adversaries elsewhere. The practical consequence is immediate: shipping insurance premiums will spike, rerouting costs around Africa will add weeks to deliveries and billions in annual expenses, and any future Houthi blockade could trigger global economic disruption comparable to previous energy crises.