Another Hormuz? What to know about the Houthi threat to the Red Sea

This article was originally published on CFR.org and updated by NBC News.

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSJane Doe’s night started with catching up. It ended with a frat party that changed everything.

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Trump never cared about us’: Ukraine smarts at U.S. pressure and deal with Putin

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFacing smaller crowds and low approval ratings, Trump tries to rally the base

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAcross both parties, Black candidates look to make history in governor’s races

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbortion isn’t top of mind for voters, but Democrats are betting it could motivate their base

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSOne year on, Gaza ceasefire exists ‘in name only,’ aid groups say amid near-daily Israeli strikes

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom ‘Artificial’ to ‘Musk’: Hollywood puts tech giants under microscope

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRepublicans stay bullish on Texas governor’s race, but two key groups present challenges

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As the United States and Iran remain locked in a struggle for control over the Strait of Hormuz, concerns continue to mount about the security of another regional maritime chokepoint: the Red Sea. Since the start of the Iran war, the Houthis have made a concerted effort to restrict oil and gas flows through the vital Mideast waterway. In September 2026, two months after the group declared a complete naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, which relies on the Red Sea to access global oil markets, the Houthis seized control of Yemen’s strategic port city of Mokha and several islands near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—expanding their control over Yemen’s Red Sea coastline. Now, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has launched a major offensive against the Houthis, retaking critical areas around the strait.

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