However, Saudi exports would also be blocked if the Houthis close Bab al-Mandab. In response, Israel, the US and UK staged strikes on targets in Yemen, and Washington imposed sanctions on the Houthis. The Houthis currently hold Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, the northwest of the country where most Yemenis dwell, the port of Hodeidah and Bab al-Mandab. By taking action to back Iran in this war, the Houthis could reignite Yemen’s civil strife. Although axis members Palestine’s Hamas and Lebanon’s Hizbullah have been weakened by Israeli attacks, the Houthis have remained relatively unscathed.

Source: The Irish Times March 29, 2026 14:12 UTC