Houthis' Yemen advance leaves Gulf states with uncomfortable choice

Houthis now control islands by Bab el-Mandeb, creating a new choke point on Red Sea shipping and threatening global trade and Saudi oil routes.
Pressure on both the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz is squeezing Gulf economies and could force countries to negotiate with Iran rather than rely solely on the U.S.
A planned Gulf–Iran meeting in Oman was postponed, highlighting that regional diplomacy with Tehran is becoming unavoidable to keep energy and trade flowing.