Although Dhubab is a small town in Yemen, it lies in a strategically important location just north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the third busiest chokepoint in global oil trade after the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Hormuz. Houthi forces, Yemeni allies of Iran who had been fighting a civil war with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, sought to exert pressure on Saudi Arabia and the international community in 2023–25 and again in 2026 by attacking ships in the Red Sea. In 2026 Houthi forces aimed to control Dhubab in order to have direct access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait chokepoint.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style