The second strait

The Houthis fired missiles and drones at Israel on Saturday, the first time the Yemeni group has directly attacked Israel since the war began. Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced the operation and said the attacks would continue until Israel "ceases its aggression." On Sunday they carried out a second operation with cruise missiles and drones. One missile was intercepted over the Red Sea.

Analysts warn the Houthis' entry could open another front: the blockade of Bab al-Mandeb, the 29-kilometre strait between Yemen and Djibouti connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. A significant share of crude and gas leaving the Gulf for the Mediterranean passes through it via the Suez Canal. An Iranian military source told Tasnim that Iran can pose a "credible threat" at Bab al-Mandeb and could open that front if Iranian islands are attacked.

If Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb close simultaneously, there is no viable route to move Gulf oil to global markets. Saudi Arabia has a pipeline to the Red Sea, but if the Red Sea is also blocked, crude would have to go around Africa. The Houthis proved over two years they can paralyse maritime traffic in that zone. Their entry into the war is not symbolic. It is the difference between an energy crisis and a collapse.