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Bab al-Mandab, the narrow southern exit of the Red Sea into the Gulf of Aden, is the primary throughput gate for seaborne commerce and Saudi oil exports, and Houthi forces moved closer to its edge on Thursday after seizing the Yemeni coastal city of Mokha.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump twice that day; on the second call he urged direct U.S. military strikes against the Iran-backed group.
Oil prices surged Thursday as Mokha fell and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces retreated.
With Iran already disrupting transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Houthi control of Bab al-Mandab could hand Tehran a new point of pressure over the United States and its Gulf allies, placing both major maritime exits of the region under Iranian-aligned influence.
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