Houthi rebels threaten major shipping chokepoint

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have threatened to blockade the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Traffic there has risen as shipments have shifted away from the Strait of Hormuz.

Shipping chokepoints: Pre-war crude oil and liquid petroleum volume

Note: Houthi area of control as of September 20, 2026. Crude oil and liquid petroleum volume data is for the first half of 2025. Typical tanker traffic is an approximation based on tanker shipping density data from September 2024.

Source: Global Energy Monitor (Global Oil Infrastructure Tracker), Global Maritime Traffic, US Energy Information Administration, The Institute for the Study of War and AEI’s Critical Threats Project

Graphic: Amy O'Kruk and Lou Robinson, CNN