Fishermen motor past a commercial vessel anchored off Yemen's coast at Bab al-Mandeb, in the straits connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean on September 12, 2026. Yemen's Houthis took over on September 11, 2026, a Red Sea island of Mayyun that is located in the middle of the Bab al-Mandeb shipping lane, completing their push to control the area, a local government official and eyewitnesses told AFP. Hundreds of people have died since the Iran-backed Houthis launched an offensive around Bab al-Mandab, a vital artery for Saudi oil exports. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /