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Iran-backed Houthis capture Red Sea port, putting more pressure on oil markets
PBS • • general
Key Points:
- Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have seized the strategic port city of Mokha in Yemen, located near the Bab al-Mandab strait, a crucial maritime chokepoint leading to the Red Sea.
- The Houthis' advance threatens to disrupt global shipping routes and has pushed Brent crude oil prices above $105 a barrel amid fears of wider regional conflict.
- Despite calls for dialogue from Houthi spokesperson Mohamed A-Bukhai, the group continues military operations and possesses missile capabilities covering the Bab al-Mandab, heightening security concerns.
- The anti-Houthi coalition in Yemen is fragmented and weakened, exemplified by the loss of Mokha to the Houthis, with Saudi Arabia reluctant to deploy ground troops and relying mainly on airstrikes.
- The U.N. warns that renewed violence risks plunging Yemen back into full-scale civil war and escalating into a broader regional conflict with significant global repercussions.
