‘Gate of Tears’ at risk of becoming second major oil bottleneck

The opening of a new front in the Middle East war has put another vital shipping route on edge. For weeks, attention has been fixed on the Strait of Hormuz. Now, a second flashpoint is emerging further south — the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Known in Arabic as the Gate of Tears, analysts warn this narrow waterway could soon live up to its name — not just for the region, but for the global economy. After weeks of threats, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants entered the conflict over the weekend, launching missiles at Israel and prompting fresh warnings from the US about…