Who is Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the hidden commander shaking global trade?
Part of composite article Oil Prices Fall as Saudi Arabia Opens New Supply Routes After Pipeline Attack View full article →
Abdul Malik al-Houthi leads a battle-hardened force. His Iran-aligned Houthi militant group just won its biggest military victory in years.
The group swept through Yemen’s Red Sea coastline. It tightened its grip on a vital shipping waterway. This rattled Saudi Arabia, an oil superpower.
The offensive included attacks on Saudi Arabia. It put the Houthis in a strong position to control the Bab el-Mandeb strait. This narrow passage is a key route for global trade. The Houthis could potentially halt shipping there.