Houthis Near Bab el-Mandeb Control as Oil Tops $100, BRICS Convenes in Delhi

Multiple BBC language services report Houthi forces — aligned with Iran — have advanced along Yemen's southwestern coast, reportedly capturing the port city of Dhubab and the strategic island of Mayun near the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the southern gateway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and global Asia-Europe trade routes. Persian-language BBC reporting adds that oil has crossed $100/barrel and U.S. diesel prices have reached $6/gallon for the first time, with East Asian equity markets declining on the news. Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary reportedly stated Iran used anti-ship missiles against U.S. vessels for the first time. Separately, the BRICS summit opened in New Delhi on September 11, with Modi and Putin holding bilateral talks and China's Xi attending, as Putin publicly called for BRICS to form a new 'sustainable platform for global growth.'