Houthis threaten to fully close Bab al-Mandeb Strait

Houthi officials warned they could fully close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, warning against foreign intervention in Yemen after their forces seized the Red Sea coast.

Why this matters. A closure of Bab al-Mandeb would cut off a major alternate shipping route already strained by the Hormuz crisis, threatening to sever remaining maritime trade options between Europe, the Gulf and Asia.