Twelve Percent

Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have captured the island of Mayun at the entrance of the Red Sea. The seizure was confirmed by a senior military official with Yemen's internationally recognized government and a Houthi official. The island sits at the mouth of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, through which about 12 percent of the world's goods are typically shipped. It is especially important to Saudi Arabia, a key US ally.[1]

The Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a statement that "maritime navigation is safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels." But markets are nervous, and experts have described the Houthis as highly unpredictable. A UN spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said Houthi rebels in Mokha seized a compound that had housed UN staff, who all fled safely before the city's capture. No UN personnel remain in Mokha.[2]

The capture of Mayun island tightens Houthi control over Yemen's entire Red Sea coast and three strategic islands. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is the gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Saudi Arabia had already shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West pipeline on Friday after a drone attack launched from Iraq. According to the International Energy Agency, Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea port at the pipeline's end have more than doubled since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.[3]

Iran will meet with Gulf Arab neighbors on Monday in Oman to discuss shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the meeting will include discussion on prior talks between Iran and Oman regarding ship traffic through the critical waterway, which has been heavily disrupted by the Iran war. Located on either side of the strait, Iran and Oman have held talks over managing passage.[4]

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said his country's military has completed the destruction of tunnels in the strategic Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, built by Hezbollah with Iranian funding. The ridge has been the site of clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in recent weeks. Residents displaced from the coastal village of Mansouri watched from a distance as Israeli drones carried boxes of explosives to be dropped on their homes. The Israeli army did not respond to a request for comment.[5]

And in Gaza, an Israeli strike on Friday killed a man walking in a street in Khan Younis and wounded several people, including children, according to Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military said the strike had targeted a Hamas member.[6]

Three fronts. The Red Sea, where Houthis now control the gateway through which 12 percent of global trade flows. The Strait of Hormuz, where Iran and Oman will talk on Monday about the other gateway, through which 20 percent of the world's oil flows. And the land, where Israel is demolishing houses in southern Lebanon and striking targets in Gaza. The pipeline that was supposed to bypass one strait has been shut down. The island that guards the other strait has been captured. The waterways are narrowing.[7]