Yemen, a country at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is about 7,000 kilometres from Jakarta. It feels far away. But this month, its war came closer to Indonesian families, workers and prices.

Yemen has had a civil war since 2014. On one side is the Houthi movement, officially called Ansar Allah, or “supporters of God.” Backed by Iran, it controls the north and the capital, Sanaa. Against it stands the official government, backed by Saudi Arabia. A 2022 truce brought four years of calm, but the war restarted in July.

In early September, the Houthis took the port of Mocha and nearby Perim island. This gave them control of Yemen’s side of the Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow sea passage on the main shipping route between Asia and Europe. About 12 percent of world trade passes through it.

Gulf oil has two main sea gates. One is the Bab al-Mandeb. The other is the Strait of Hormuz, next to Iran. Since the United States and Israel went to war with Iran in February, traffic there has fallen from about 100 ships a day to about 28 in July. Now Iran’s partner sits beside the first gate. Together, the two hold strong pressure over world trade and oil.

This touches Indonesia in four ways.

First, Indonesian students.

Around........

© Middle East Monitor