Houthis Announce Red Sea Blockade of Bab el-Mandeb Amid U.S.-Iran War

Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen have announced a naval blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint linking the Red Sea to global shipping lanes. The declaration escalates the maritime dimension of the U.S.-Iran war and threatens one of the world's busiest trade arteries. A sustained blockade could disrupt energy and cargo flows worldwide and draw further American naval involvement in the region.