Houthi Blockade of Saudi Trade Threatens Wider Middle East Conflict The Bab el Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway connecting Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal, has become the focal point for a brewing crisis in the Middle East.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen have imposed an embargo on Saudi shipping, disrupting maritime traffic and prompting warnings of potentially catastrophic escalation.
In response to a Houthi missile strike on one of its ships, Riyadh unleashed a devastating bombing campaign against the port city of Hodeidah.