Why Houthi gains in Yemen could push gas prices even higher : NPR

Key Points:

• Iran-backed Houthi fighters have seized the Yemeni port city of Mokha and the island of Mayun, consolidating control over a critical Red Sea shipping route and pushing out Saudi-backed forces.
• The Houthis claim their attacks respond to Saudi Arabia's blockade of Houthi-held areas, aiming to pressure Riyadh to end its military campaign, while asserting they are not targeting international shipping.
• The renewed conflict and attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure have contributed to rising global oil prices, with Brent crude briefly surpassing $108 a barrel, amid broader tensions in the Gulf region involving the U.S. and Iran.
• Saudi Arabia faces export challenges as key waterways like the Bab el-Mandeb strait and Strait of Hormuz are increasingly unsafe, forcing costly rerouting of oil shipments through the Suez Canal and around Africa.
• The fighting has displaced at least 18,500 people in Yemen, exacerbating humanitarian crises in areas already lacking sufficient food and shelter, while the conflict marks over a decade of war since Saudi Arabia's intervention began.