US-Iran War — 2026-03-31
Houthis Resume Attacks on Israel as Iran Presses for Red Sea Shipping Campaign Escalation
Houthi rebels entered the Iran war on March 28 with missile launches against Israel after four weeks of restraint. Iran is pressing the Houthis to prepare for a renewed Red Sea shipping campaign contingent on further US escalation. A dual disruption of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb strait would threaten approximately 32% of global seaborne trade.
Analysis
The Houthis restrained for the first four weeks of the war, an unusual departure from their aggressive posture during the2024 Red Sea campaign . Bloomberg's report that Iran is pressing for renewed Red Sea operations suggests this was a deliberate sequencing decision, not a capability gap. A simultaneous Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb disruption would affect roughly 32% of global seaborne trade, an unprecedented chokepoint crisis.
The Houthis restrained for the first four weeks of the war, an unusual departure from their aggressive posture during the