Key facts
- The UN Security Council will meet Tuesday to discuss the Middle East.
- Houthis have seized the Red Sea port of Mokha and Mayyun Island.
- The Bab el-Mandeb strait carries about 8.7% of global seaborne trade.
- The Houthis claimed to have fired missiles and drones at a Saudi air base.
- Saudi Arabia retaliated with dozens of strikes, wounding 13 civilians.
- U.S. President Donald Trump has resisted direct military intervention in Yemen.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to convene Tuesday to address escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly following the Houthi group's recent advances along Yemen's Red Sea coast. The Houthi seizure of the Red Sea port of Mokha and Mayyun Island, situated on the critical Bab el-Mandeb strait, has raised concerns over maritime trade. The strait, approximately 30 kilometers wide, facilitates about 8.7% of global seaborne trade.
These developments coincide with renewed Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia, including claims of missile and drone launches against an air base. The Saudi-led coalition reported 13 civilians were wounded in retaliatory airstrikes. U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly resisted calls from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for direct military intervention in Yemen.
Despite deteriorating security conditions and Houthi territorial gains, major global shipping lines, including A.P. Moller-Maersk and China Cosco Shipping, have announced plans to restore services through the Red Sea and Suez Canal this month, reducing reliance on the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope.