Houthi rebels in Yemen declare a blockade on Saudi Arabia as the broader Iran-U.S. war intensifies across the Middle East.
Houthi rebels in Yemen have declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening to disrupt shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea. This move follows a series of escalating tensions in the broader war between the United States and Iran, which is currently centered on the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has used its influence over various armed groups to project power, leading to the U.S. and its allies to strike back at Iranian-backed militias. Saudi Arabia has accused Iran-backed militias in Iraq to have launched drone attacks on its oil facilities, prompting a U.S.-Saudi joint strike that killed at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers. Meanwhile, drones set fire to natural gas vessels in Egypt, and Iran fired missiles at Jordan. The conflict is deepening mistrust between the powers, as Iran appears more interested in cementing its control over the Strait of Hormuz than in reaching a new agreement with the conflict's initial interim peace deal collapsed.