Within days of each other, two of the world's most consequential maritime passages — the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb — have fallen under hostile control, severing the arteries through which much of humanity's energy and commerce flows. Iran, responding to military strikes by the United States and Israel, has disrupted Hormuz traffic, while Houthi forces seized Perim Island to lock down the Red Sea's southern gateway, eliminating the very detour that shippers had turned to for relief. What began as a regional conflict has become a test of how fragile the architecture of global trade
Iran, Houthis seal off two critical shipping routes, threatening global economy
World leaders warn that continued trade disruptions could cause global recession resulting in tens of millions of people going hungry.