Dr. Moritz Brake on the situation at the Bab al-Mandab strait after the Houthi rebel offensive Dr. Moritz Brake on the situation at the Bab al-Mandab strait after the Houthi rebel offensive

After the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the Iran War significantly restricted oil exports from the Middle East, there was still the option—at least via pipelines—to export Saudi oil across the Red Sea, according to Dr. Brake. Now, however, even this has become nearly impossible, as the Houthi rebels—who are allied with Iran—have seized large parts of the coastal area along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. For the Gulf states, this poses an existential threat, Brake explains. It remains to be seen to what extent the Gulf states will now mobilize militarily. It is also interesting to note that ships flying the Chinese flag are rarely attacked, suggesting a shift in power dynamics within international trade relations.