Shipping Plunges in Bab Al Mandeb and Hormuz as Houthis Seize Mokha Amid Escalating Regional Conflict

Strategic port near Bab Al Mandeb falls after days of fighting pro-government forces. Pakistan warns Tehran to rein in Iran-backed rebels after Saudi attacks.

US President Donald Trump states that the war will end after US midterms, claiming that Tehran is trying to prolong the war to keep fuel prices high.

Satellite images appear to show an oil slick from a tanker the US sunk off Iran, while only seven ships transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Additional developments include Israeli strikes hitting a residential area in Gaza, an Iranian attack leaving a hole in a tanker off the Iraq coast, and US claims that it destroyed five Iranian oil tankers.

Meanwhile, Trump calls for an end to Iran's nuclear programme as Iranians queue for fuel at petrol stations in Tehran. UAE minister warns that no country can own Hormuz, and officials note that Houthis are more dangerous than a pure Iranian proxy, highlighting the Gulf's need for closer security co-operation.