Iran-backed forces are escalating their push for dominance over critical global shipping routes, with Yemen’s Houthi rebels advancing toward full control of the Red Sea coast and seizing the strategically vital port of Mocha. The offensive marks the most intense clash with the Saudi-backed government in recent years, raising concerns over potential disruptions to maritime trade. If successful, the move would hand Iran and its allies near-total oversight of two key chokepoints—Bab al-Mandeb in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf—posing a direct threat to Western shipping lanes. The escalation underscores deepening regional tensions and the growing influence of Iran’s proxy network.
Iran and its proxies move closer to full control of two shipping chokepoints as regional conflict widensYemen’s Houthi rebels are making a concerted drive to take full control of the country’s Red Sea coast, claiming control of the key port of Mocha, in the most serious wave of fighting with the Saudi-backed government in years.Seizure of the coast would be a strategic disaster for Saudi Arabia and the US, taking Iran and its proxies closer to full control of two chokepoints for western shipping on opposite sides of the Arabian peninsula: the Bab al-Mandeb at the southern end of the Red Sea and the strait of Hormuz in the Gulf. Continue reading...
