The Indicator from Planet Money · Thursday, September 17, 2026
The Houthis have seized control of Bahrain Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. This move by the Iran-allied rebel group, which has been battling Yemen's government since 2014, threatens to disrupt global shipping, including 15% of the world's seaborne trade. The seizure comes as Saudi Arabia suspended oil shipments from a Red Sea port after a drone attack on its pipeline.
“The Babel Mandeb is a narrowing of land with some islands in the middle that basically controls the southern access of the Red Sea.”
“Now, the capture of Bahrain Island threatens to stop that traffic altogether.”
“The Saudis have been using the Red Sea and the Babel Mandeb Strait as an alternative oil shipping route after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz more than six months ago.”