Tensions in the Middle East have escalated in 2026, with the attacks by the US and Israel against Iran. Renewed attacks by Saudi Arabia against the Houthi rebels in Yemen dialled up hostilities even further. Through attacks on global shipping, this small group has had a strategic impact far greater than its size and capability. Now, the UK has stepped in with an offer of support to its Saudi allies.

It is vital for the world economy that the strait in question, Bab al-Mandab, remains passable to ships, as vessels must pass through it to reach the Suez canal. More than that though, it is also part of a wider Middle Eastern power struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran for control of the region.

The Saudi military has attacked targets in Yemen to reduce the power and influence of the Houthis and attempt to restore a degree of stability. For now, Yemen remains without a stable government. This power struggle has led the Iranian regime in Tehran to provide continuous and increasing military and political support to the Houthis.

The most recent attempt to influence this delicate and precarious struggle has seen the Saudi government authorise renewed attacks against the Houthis, who are........

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