Yemen's Houthis capture a Red Sea island in threat to shipping

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have captured a strategic island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to NPR. This move threatens Saudi oil exports through a key commercial lane.

Saudi Arabia responded by shutting down a major oil pipeline as a precaution after it came under attack, as reported by multiple outlets including The Mainichi and Gulf News. The pipeline, which runs across the Arabian Peninsula, had been moving 4 to 5 million barrels per day, according to The Jakarta Post.

The Houthi rebels' advance along Yemen's Red Sea coast has raised concerns about a key shipping choke point, with analysts warning that they are now in a strong position to take further control if they want to, as noted by The Times of Israel.

Brief written by urgent.news from NPR, The Mainichi, The Times of Israel, Gulf News, The Jakarta Post — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.