Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi rebels have claimed attacks in the Red Sea on two Saudi oil tankers and say they will blockade the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a crucial passage into the Red Sea, as part of a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia.
- Gateway to the Red Sea -
Known as the "Gate of Tears" in Arabic, the Bab al-Mandeb strait sits at the southern tip of the Red Sea, connecting it with the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean.