Saudi Arabia Urges Trump to Strike Houthis After Seizure of 18-Mile Bab el-Mandeb Chokepoint
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 11
Saudi Arabia Urges Trump to Strike Houthis After Seizure of 18-Mile Bab el-Mandeb Chokepoint
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 11
Summary
Riyadh pressed Washington for direct military action after the Houthis seized Mocha, Mayyun island and Dhubab, tightening control around Yemen’s Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday.
Trump declined immediate U.S. strikes but offered Saudi Arabia intelligence and targeting support, while CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper traveled to the kingdom for coordination talks.
The Houthi advance followed years of rebuilding after the 2022 truce and, former U.S. envoy Timothy Lenderking said, was reinforced by Iranian personnel and equipment flown into Sanaa this summer.
The risk reaches beyond Yemen because Bab el-Mandeb is only 18 miles wide and carried about 7% of global oil output in June; disruption there would compound strain after Hormuz traffic fell to seven vessels Thursday from a prewar average of 125.
With Houthis controlling a vital trade chokepoint, will US intelligence support be enough to prevent a devastating global supply chain collapse?
Can Saudi Arabia reclaim the Bab el-Mandeb Strait without drawing the US into a direct and costly regional war?
As shipping costs soar, is Iran's proxy strategy effectively holding 15% of global maritime trade hostage to geopolitical demands?
Dual Chokepoint Crisis: How the 2026 Houthi Blockade of Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz Upended Global Oil and Trade
Overview
The September 2026 Red Sea crisis began after US-Israeli strikes killed Iran’s former leader, leading to a diplomatic breakdown between Saudi Arabia and Iran. This triggered the Houthis to declare a naval blockade and launch a rapid offensive along Yemen’s western coast, breaking a four-year truce. The Houthis captured key ports and islands, seized control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and struck Saudi oil facilities, causing Saudi oil exports to plummet. As global shipping rerouted around Africa, energy prices surged and voyages were delayed. The conflict reignited Yemen’s civil war, creating a massive humanitarian crisis with tens of thousands displaced.