Bab al-Mandeb: US war on Iran gives Houthis new leverage over Saudi Arabia

Bab al-Mandeb: US war on Iran gives Houthis new leverage over Saudi Arabia When Yemen’s Houthis threatened a “maritime embargo” on Saudi ports last week, the risk of war returning to the Arabian Peninsula - and of Bab al-Mandeb becoming the second major oil chokepoint under threat - suddenly became real. The escalation began after Saudi Arabia attacked Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport more than two weeks ago, potentially pulling the country deeper into the expanding US-Israeli war on Iran. The attack followed the Houthis’ decision to reopen Sanaa airport to direct flights from Iran .