Houthis seized control of Yemen's Mocha and advanced down the Red Sea coast to strategic islands, raising concern regarding their leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — another vital artery for oil shipments. Tony Munroe has the details ▻ ↧ Explainer: Why is the Bab el-Mandeb Strait so important? The Iran-backed Houthis are seeking to control the whole Yemeni Red Sea coast, which would further consolidate their leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — one of the busiest and most contested global maritime chokepoints.