ran and its allies are ramping up operations to disrupt major oil shipping lanes in the Middle East on which much of the world relies, threatening to drive up U.S. and global fuel prices further.
Iranian forces responded to President Donald Trump and Israel's Feb. 28 attacks on the country by disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran's coast and the Arabian Peninsula. The Islamic republic's efforts made the channel a household name as oil prices rose precipitously.
This week Iran's allies to the south moved to shut down the other major channel in the region: the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which lies between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. The Yemen-based Houthi militia announced Sept. 11 that they had seized Perim Island, a strategic isle that will allow them to control the Bab el-Mandeb.
The Houthis' capture of Perim means Iran and their allies have effectively consolidated control over two of the most important trade chokepoints in the world, and the strain on the global economy that followed shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz is now poised to grow worse.
In addition to Gulf oil exports, the two channels are used for shipping consumer goods and other commodities between Asia, Europe and beyond. Disruptions at these routes have driven up oil prices and shipping costs, creating ripple effects across the U.S. economy that extend far beyond the gas pump.
World leaders and experts have warned that continued disruptions to trade could eventually cause a global recession where tens of millions of people go hungry.
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