Saudi Arabia and its allies in the Yemeni government have launched a military campaign to reclaim territory near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait from Houthi rebels CAIRO -- Saudi Arabia and Yemen's government have launched a military campaign to drive Iran-backed Houthi rebels from the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a critical trade route for oil and other goods. The Houthis have responded by escalating missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, claiming to have struck the international airport in the capital, Riyadh, an Aramco refinery and Saudi military bases. They have also advanced around a city in western Yemen that has been a major battleground in the 12-year civil war.
The worst fighting in Yemen in years comes as tensions remain high between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. and Gulf nations have largely restored oil exports despite Iran's monthslong disruption of the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump has warned he might resume full-scale military operations after the U.S. congressional elections in November, and Iran could be planning proxy attacks.
The price of Brent crude was hovering around $100 per barrel on Tuesday, compared to roughly $70 a barrel before the Iran war, as the price of basic goods remains elevated far beyond the Middle East. Yemen's conflict has had a devastating impact on the Arab world's poorest country. Houthi rebels swept down from their northern stronghold and seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 on the side of Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Years of fighting settled into a stalemated proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, causing widespread hunger and misery in Yemen. The war killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
A 2022 ceasefire was largely honored until this summer. Last month, the Houthis raced down the Red Sea coast, capturing the key port city of Mokha and islands in the Bab el-Mandeb, allowing them to tighten their declared blockade of Saudi shipping. The strait at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Around 12% of the world’s trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, passes through the narrows, moving between Europe and Asia via Egypt’s Suez Canal. It also became a crucial alternative route for Saudi oil exports when Iran initially shut down the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel launched the wider war on Feb. 28. The Saudi-backed offensive to retake the Red Sea coast began after the Houthis captured Turbah, a town near the western city of Taiz that had served as a key staging ground for government forces.
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