Key facts
- Iran-aligned Houthi forces seized control of Perim Island and the Hanish archipelago, giving them effective control over Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- A drone strike, apparently launched from Iraq, hit Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, forcing a shutdown of the crude oil artery.
- Houthi officials stated that commercial shipping would not be threatened, with an exception for Saudi-flagged vessels.
- The Bab el-Mandeb Strait carries roughly 10% of global trade and about a third of container traffic.
- The East-West pipeline was previously pushed to a record seven million barrels a day to compensate for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. officials met with Iran-backed Houthi representatives in Oman over the weekend, as the group completed an offensive that gave them effective control over Yemen's Red Sea coast and the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Concurrently, a drone strike, reportedly launched from Iraq, targeted Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, a critical artery for transporting crude oil to the Red Sea. Houthi officials stated that commercial shipping would generally not be threatened, but specifically excluded Saudi-flagged vessels, signaling a heightened cost for Riyadh's alignment with Washington.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a crucial chokepoint, carrying approximately 10% of global trade and a third of container traffic. The Houthi seizure of the strait, alongside Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz, intensifies pressure on global supply chains. The attack on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, which had been operating at record capacity to bypass Hormuz, further exacerbates these pressures. Saudi authorities temporarily shut down the pipeline as a precautionary measure, though the extent of physical damage remains unconfirmed.
This series of actions is seen as part of Iran's broader strategy to incrementally raise the costs for its adversaries through proxy forces, without direct confrontation. The objective is to make the war's economic consequences, including energy prices and shipping disruptions, politically unsustainable for the U.S. administration, particularly in the lead-up to U.S. elections. The Saudi government has shown restraint following the pipeline attack, indicating a cautious approach to escalation.