Houthi Attacks Reach Gulf of Aden as Commercial Shipping Collapses at Bab al-Mandab

Houthi forces hit a US-owned cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden on August 5, 2026, after an earlier strike on a Saudi oil tanker sank four ships and killed nine crew. The Bab al-Mandab Strait — a chokepoint linking the Red Sea to global trade — saw traffic hit a record low. International warships deployed nearby have failed to stop the campaign.