Closing Bab Al Mandeb: Chokepoints and Proxies
How Iranian strategy, Houthi power in Yemen, and the economics of maritime chokepoints combine to put Red Sea shipping and global oil transit at risk.
Optimized for books about Understand why threats to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait matter and how Iran, the Houthis, and oil chokepoint dynamics drive that risk..
Yemen in CrisisHelen LacknerHelen Lackner's Yemen-focused analysis explains the domestic drivers and Houthi capabilities needed to assess threats...Shelf signal: Middle Eastern Politics
Tribes and Politics in YemenMarieke BrandtMarieke Brandt's tribal lens clarifies local governance and Houthi political dynamics that shape control of Yemeni...Shelf signal: Middle Eastern Politics
Iran's Rise and Rivalry With the US in the Middle EastMohsen M. MilaniMohsen Milani traces Iran's expansion of influence across the region, explaining Tehran's incentives to use proxies...Shelf signal: Middle Eastern Politics
ChokepointsEdward FishmanEdward Fishman's Chokepoints provides the economic and strategic framework for how strait closures affect global trade...Shelf signal: Security Studies
The New MapDaniel YerginDaniel Yergin's The New Map situates energy geopolitics and how shifts in oil routes and politics reshape global...Shelf signal: Energy Industry
The Shadow CommanderArash Azizi, Eric Jason MartinThe Shadow Commander offers insight into IRGC strategy and the operational role of Iranian commanders that inform proxy...Shelf signal: Iranian History