[00:00] Daniel Brooks: This is Neural Newscast for March 29th, 2026. I'm Daniel Brooks.
[00:06] Daniel Brooks: Leading our briefing, Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen have launched a series of ballistic missiles and drones targeting sensitive Israeli military sites.
[00:18] Daniel Brooks: This marks their first direct intervention in the war that began on February 28th.
[00:23] Announcer: The escalation confirms the involvement of a powerful Iranian proxy in the conflict.
[00:30] Announcer: While Israel reports it successfully intercepted two missiles coming from Yemen on Saturday,
[00:37] Announcer: the Houthis have issued a statement vowing to continue these attacks until military operations against Hezbollah and other members of the Axis of Resistance cease.
[00:50] Daniel Brooks: The geographic distance between Yemen and Israel makes interceptions more likely,
[00:55] Daniel Brooks: but the strategic concern for the global economy lies in the Bob Al-Mandab strait.
[01:00] Daniel Brooks: Elise, the Houthis control the Yemeni coastline along the Red Sea, where nearly 15% of global
[01:08] Daniel Brooks: seaborne trade passes.
[01:09] Daniel Brooks: This group has a proven capacity to disrupt shipping, having launched nearly 200 attacks
[01:15] Daniel Brooks: on vessels between late 2023 and early 2025.
[01:20] Announcer: That maritime pressure is compounding an already volatile energy market.
[01:27] Announcer: President Trump has currently paused a threatened attack on Iranian power plants,
[01:32] Announcer: giving Tehran until April 6th to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
[01:37] Announcer: With 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas usually transiting that waterway,
[01:45] Announcer: its closure has already sent oil prices higher.
[01:49] Daniel Brooks: The situation has forced Saudi Arabia to divert oil through a pipeline to its Red Sea coast.
[01:56] Daniel Brooks: However, shipments bound for Asian markets must then sail south past the Houthi-controlled coastline.
[02:03] Daniel Brooks: This makes the Bab al-Mandab the primary channel for these diverted shipments,
[02:09] Daniel Brooks: effectively putting the Houthis in a position to impact the world's remaining oil flow.
[02:15] Daniel Brooks: From Neural Newscast, I'm Daniel Brooks.
[02:18] Announcer: And I'm Elise Moreau.
[02:20] Announcer: Neural Newscast is AI-assisted, human-reviewed.
[02:24] Announcer: View our AI Transparency Policy at neuralnewscast.com.