Published on
08/06/2026 - 15:32 GMT+2
Yemen's Houthi rebels have joined the fight in the Iran war on Tehran's side, announcing a missile attack on Israel on Monday and declaring a ban on Israeli shipping in the Red Sea, putting the waterway in danger along with the Gulf of Aden and the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting them.
During the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the Houthis harassed cargo ships in the vital seaway through which about $1 trillion (€866bn) of goods passed each year with nearly 200 attacks, forcing many companies into a lengthy detour around the tip of southern Africa.
The detour generally adds around 14 days and significant costs to journeys between Asia and Europe. Oil passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait dropped from 8.8 million to around 4 million barrels per day during the campaign.
