Shipping via Hormuz disrupted, Iran could tell Houthis to shut Bab al-Mandab: Why the narrow waterway matters

Tehran puts Houthi militants on notice to close critical shipping lanes, threatening a fresh supply shock as Brent crude notches 21 per cent rally since early July

Yemen fighting and Houthi shipping attacks deepen strain on oil markets

Efforts by major Middle Eastern oil producers to build new export pipelines that bypass the Strait of Hormuz may reduce dependence on one of the world's most strategically important waterways, but energy analysts warn the projects will not eliminate Iran's ability to threaten global crude supplies.

Situated between Yemen and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, the waterway has again come under threat by Houthi and Iranian officials.