A new threat to global shipping as Yemen's Houthis threaten to close vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait

A new looming threat to international shipping and the global economy.

With the vital Strait of Hormuz effectively closed since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, Tehran’s Houthi allies in Yemen are now threatening to block the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Reports on Friday said the Houthis - who control Yemen’s capital and northwestern Red Sea Coast - may close the maritime corridor that connects Europe, Asia and Africa.

A representative of the group said that if it does close the waterway, it would only attack vessels belonging to states carrying out strikes on Iran, Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and is known as a strategic chokepoint linking the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. It’s a vital route for global trade, particularly for oil and gas shipments between Europe and Asia.