Along one of the world's most ancient and consequential waterways, Yemen's Houthi rebels have seized two Red Sea islands near the Bab al-Mandab strait, tightening their grip over a passage through which much of the world's oil must travel. The seizure arrives as Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline sustains damage capable of removing millions of barrels from daily supply — a convergence of disruptions that finds global strategic reserves already spent. What unfolds in these narrow waters between continents is not merely a regional conflict but a stress test of the interconnected systems that keep
Houthis seize Red Sea islands as oil supply crisis looms
Nearly 94,000 people in Yemen have fled their homes since fighting escalated, with over 2,000 fleeing to Djibouti; 13 civilians were wounded in recent Houthi attacks.