Iran-US war latest: Houthis strike Saudi mosque causing injuries after vital oil pipeline shut

# Why This Matters The Houthi capture of Bab el-Mandeb and subsequent closure of the oil pipeline represents a fundamental shift in the balance of power in the Red Sea, with cascading consequences for global energy security and geopolitical stability. Approximately 12% of world trade flows through this chokepoint, and any sustained disruption to oil shipments will immediately ripple through global markets, driving up prices for consumers worldwide and destabilizing economies already fragile from recent shocks. The escalating attacks on Saudi infrastructure, including civilian targets like mosques, signal a deliberate strategy to draw Saudi Arabia and its allies deeper into conflict while demonstrating Houthi capability to inflict economic damage far beyond their traditional territory. This dynamic creates a dangerous feedback loop: each Iranian-backed strike strengthens the Houthis' position, increases pressure on Saudi Arabia to respond militarily, and raises the risk that localized proxy conflict explodes into direct great-power confrontation.