Current sectionMiddle East NewsAnalysis Even if Hormuz reopens and U.S.-Iran tensions ease, the Houthis could sustain a second front in the Red Sea, threatening the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, disrupting routes to Saudi oil port Yanbu and increasing pressure on RiyadhShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeZvi Bar'elSeptember 06, 2026Legend has it that an Ethiopian goat herder was the first to notice the strange behavior of his goats after they nibbled on the fruit of coffee trees growing in the Ethiopian highlands. The herder passed the news on to the local religious scholar, who prepared a drink by mixing the ground beans with water – and the rest is history. Almost. Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Saudi ArabiaYemenMiddle East oilIranUnited Arab EmiratesHouthisStrait of HormuzCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesNetanyahu October 7Settlement SanctionsIsrael-U.K.EisenkotCanadaBen-GvirGazaIsrael ElectionHaQuizHaaretz PodcastIsrael's Algae Crisis: Is 'War Dust' From Gaza Fueling the Crisis?57,000 Israelis Have Left the Country Since Last Rosh HashanahIsrael's High Court Weighs Legality of Voter-tracking Apps Ahead of ElectionCovenant Emerges From Stealth With Plans for Low-cost Cruise MissilesIsrael's Response to U.K. Settlement Sanctions Is a Media-hyped NothingburgerRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMINetanyahu Got an Explicit Warning Before Oct. 7. He Didn't Brief Security ChiefsThink Bibi Is Bad? Meet Sara NetanyahuIMDb Replaces the Name Israel With 'The Occupied Palestinian Territories'Water Crisis Triggered by Gaza's Ruin: Israel Is Paying the Price of DestructionNetanyahu Was Warned About October 7. Will Haaretz's Exposé Change Anything?What Did Netanyahu Really Do on the Morning of October 7?More Stories to Explore