Tehran denies talks with US, as Gulf official says 50-50 chance of Iran-Oman deal on strait by Friday
The Houthi rebel group in Yemen continues to threaten maritime shipping in the Red Sea, recently attacking a vessel in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The group, backed by Iran, has been a key player in the Yemeni civil war since 2014 and maintains a strategic rivalry with Saudi Arabia.
Why it matters
The disruption of shipping in the Red Sea poses significant risks to global supply chains and international maritime security.
Link Copied! What to know about the Houthis, the Iran-backed Yemen rebel group threatening vessels By Christian Edwards Houthis brandish their weapons as they rally in solidarity with Iran and Lebanon in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on March 27. Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images A vessel sank after it was attacked in the Red Sea’s Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center reported.
UKMTO did not name the ship or state who was responsible for the attack, but the Iran-backed Houthis have repeatedly threatened to disrupt shipping through the strait, a key chokepoint at the southern end of the Red Sea.
The Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah (Supporters of God), is one side of the Yemeni civil war. It emerged in the 1990s, when its leader, Hussein al-Houthi, launched “Believing Youth,” a religious revival movement for a centuries-old subsect of Shiite Islam called Zaidism.
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