Iran and Houthis block two key global shipping routes
Iran and Houthi forces have consolidated control over the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, two critical global shipping chokepoints. These disruptions threaten to increase global fuel prices and potentially trigger a recession.
Why it matters
Control over these maritime routes directly impacts global energy security and the stability of international supply chains.
Hear this story LONDON − Iran and its allies are ramping up operations to disrupt major oil shipping lanes in the Middle East on which much of the world relies, threatening to drive up U.S. and global fuel prices further.
Iranian forces responded to President Donald Trump and Israel’s Feb. 28 attacks on the country by disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz , which lies between Iran’s coast and the Arabian Peninsula. The Islamic republic’s efforts made the channel a household name as oil prices rose precipitously.
This week Iran’s allies to the south moved to shut down the other major channel in the region: the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which lies between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. The Yemen-based Houthi militia announced Sept. 11 that they had seized Perim Island, a strategic isle that will allow them to control the Bab el-Mandeb.
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