Houthi Strikes Expand Beyond Bab al-Mandab Into Gulf of Aden, Targeting Commercial Shipping

Houthi forces struck a US-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden on August 5, 2026, after an earlier attack on a Saudi oil tanker sank four ships and killed nine crew members, driving Bab al-Mandab Strait traffic to a record low. Both targets were commercial vessels. International naval assets in the region have not halted the campaign.