Yemen’s Houthis have launched a major ground assault around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea chokepoint that has become vital for Saudi oil exports during the Middle East war.
With hundreds dead in fighting, and the Houthis exchanging strikes and counter-strikes with Saudi Arabia, AFP examines the flashpoint waterway that is normally one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Although Houthi attacks during the Gaza conflict cut ship numbers dramatically, Iran’s closure of Hormuz turned the Bab al-Mandab into a vital alternative route.
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