Houthis seize key Yemen port, threaten global Red Sea trade

Photo — Doğan Alpaslan Demir / Pexels

Multiple international outlets report that Houthi fighters in Yemen, backed by Iran, have seized the strategic port city of Mokha on the Red Sea and are pushing along the coastline toward fuller control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.[1][4][5][7][9][10] This narrow waterway connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, carrying a significant share of global container traffic and oil flows; gaining effective leverage over it would give Tehran and its allies a second major maritime chokepoint alongside the Strait of Hormuz.[3][4][7][9] The capture of Mokha has reportedly triggered a mass civilian exodus toward Aden, and Saudi Arabia has responded with dozens of airstrikes across several Yemeni governorates, underscoring the risk that the Yemen campaign could escalate into a broader regional war.[5][9] At the same time, global oil prices have jumped to around $105 per barrel and bond yields have surged, as markets brace for prolonged disruption tied to the Iran war and the tightening Houthi grip on Red Sea trade routes.[1][8][10] Diplomats and security analysts are warning that sustained instability around Bab el-Mandeb could reverberate through supply chains worldwide, affecting shipping insurance costs, food and energy prices, and the wider global economy.[3][4][5][7][9]

Sources: BBC, CNN, Euronews, Havana Times, Wikipedia, 10Things Global News, Positive Universe