Guys in flip flops are sticking it to the western "civilized" world.
Reuters: The Houthis take control of the Bab al-Mandab strait.
Yemeni government forces, backed by the West and Saudi Arabia, withdrew from the last strategic area on the coast of the Red Sea near the Bab al-Mandab strait.
The reason is the rapid advance of the pro-Iranian Houthi rebels, who created a threat of encirclement of the government forces.
Now, the Houthis control not only the coast and the strait itself, but also the mountainous areas that control it.
This opens a new and dangerous chapter for world trade: the Bab al-Mandab strait is one of the most important international shipping routes. And with Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, two major sea lanes in the region are now under threat.