Elisabeth Kendall says Houthi strike raises fears over Bab al-Mandeb

Elisabeth Kendall on the risk of escalation

Elisabeth Kendall, president of Girton College at the University of Cambridge, said the Houthi attack on Israel showed a willingness to act on repeated threats, including the possibility of shutting down the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

“This is a nightmare scenario if it escalates further,” she said.

The warning matters because Bab al-Mandeb is one of the world’s most sensitive shipping chokepoints. When armed groups start talking about it and then proceed to prove they are not merely talking, observers tend to pay attention. Reluctantly, but still.