Yemen is moving closer to a return to civil war, as an Iranian-backed rebel group escalates efforts to disrupt a crucial shipping route. The Houthis have declared a blockade against Saudi Arabia and are targeting its efforts to ship oil through the Red Sea, an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz. The developments are closely linked to the war in Iran and global efforts to ship oil out of the Gulf region.

Yemen is home to more than 40 million people who fear a return to the civil war that killed 150,000 and brought many others to the brink of famine in one of the world's most sprawling humanitarian crises. A ceasefire with Yemen's internationally recognized government and a wider coalition backed by Saudi Arabia is at risk amid the escalation.

The conflict centers on the Iranian-backed rebel group's efforts to keep neighboring Saudi Arabia from using the Red Sea shipping route, and on how that could tear Yemen apart again. The situation is described as an emerging conflict involving the blockade and the targeting of Saudi oil shipments.