Yemen Rocks the Gate of Tears | Pepe Escobar

No less than 25 years after 9/11, the Angel of History once again delivers a powerful kick. Five years ago, we had the astonishing imperial humiliation in Afghanistan, accomplished in a matter of days. Now, we have the astonishing humiliation of Epstein Syndicate vassal Saudi Arabia in Yemen, also accomplished in a matter of days.

» Bab al-Mandab is an international corridor, but it is part of Yemen's territory. « 
Yemeni PM Mohammed Ahmed Miftah, September 10, 2026. Yemen now has the luxury

of installing a toll gate, arguably multi-layered, in the Bab al-Mandab, if they want it. 

Serial humiliations now follow the Empire's path like a plague—and we're not even talking about the impending, stratospheric, twin strategic defeats in West Asia and the black soil of Novorossiya. Emperors' heads used to roll in Ancient "Divide and Rule" Rome for much less.

 

Saudi F-15 engaged Yemeni air defenses,

was hit, and crashed over Marib. 

September 10: Three Saudi brigades and allies, along with their light and heavy weapons, have surrendered to Houthi forces across the Hays, Al-Mokha, Al-Khokha, Taiz, and Al-Jawf fronts. Ansar Allah called it the largest mass-capture operation in modern warfare.

The overall collapse of the Saudi mercenary gangs in Yemen is so swift that even Epstein Syndicate mainstream media has been forced to acknowledge it. The Ansarallah Rolling Thunder is seizing cities; islands; capturing thousands of thugs; liberating all prisoners—and greeting them amnesty; taking control of an untold number of US tanks and weapons—Afghanistan reloaded; and being greeted as liberators of Yemeni land across the whole tribal spectrum.

Barefoot, but with the heart of a lion.

 

And of course Ansarallah from now on, officially, has taken full control of the mega-strategic Bab al-Mandab, or "Gate of Tears". As iconic images go, Mohammed al-Houthi, cousin of Supreme Leader Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, was spotted in liberated Al-Jarrahi driving one of countless armored vehicles abandoned by mercenary UAE-controlled gangs. 

Footage from the seized Bab el-Mandab coast shows a Houthi fighter at Hisn Murad declaring, "We don't need missiles. We don't need drones." He says artillery along the Murad coast and on Perim island will stop non-compliant vessels and "cut any and all shipping now."

The intel behind the Ansarallah Rolling Thunder—described as the largest mass-capture operation in modern warfare—was carefully coordinated with the IRGC. The Axis of Resistance was fully aware that after devastating Iranian attacks on the Jordan bases, the US was strangled in its capacity to help the Saudis prevent a Yemeni onslaught.

September 11: Saudi Arabia says Iraqi-launched drones struck its East-West 

Abqaiq-to-Yanbu Pipeline. Yanbu storage lasts 5–7 days. The war is going so well!

And onslaught it was, along the entire Yemeni western coast: from Hays to Al-Khokha and Al-Mokha via Al-Wazi'iyah, including the military camps of Khaled and Jabal al-Nar, plus Red Sea islands. Hizam al-Assad, member of the Political Bureau of Ansarallah, interviewed by Al-Mayadeen (English translation here), reaffirmed the "strategic importance" of the whole western coast, "and the region of Al-Khokha, the region of Hays, as well as the region of Al-Mafqa up to Dhabab and Miyyun, as well as the Yemeni islands in the Red Sea."

Col. Muammar Gaddafi in Sana'a on May 22, 1990, the day Yemen reunified North and South, addressing Yemeni officers and praising Yemen as the cradle of Arab civilization and its people's historic role in spreading Arabism—emphasizing their strength and independence beyond oil wealth, American bases, or foreign dependence.

Hizam al-Assad also detailed the attempt by the Saudis "to create a form of social dissociation in these regions, whether through their 'Daeshization,' or through the exacerbation of many regional, sectarian and confessional particularisms." Context is key. In 2015, Riyadh assembled an Arab-style "coalition of the willing" to basically expel Ansarallah/the Houthis from the capital Sana'a. Major fail—even by installing a blockade of Yemeni ports, and bombing indiscriminately (I was shown several targets, some rebuilt, from Sana'a to Sa'ada). Starting in 2022, a sort of unofficial ceasefire was in place, via a memorandum of understanding. The Saudis broke it in July, attacking the runway of Sana'a airport.

"How We Won the Western Coast"

Hizam al-Assad confirmed that "we had estimates that the occupier would fall in these regions from within (…) We estimated that the community would rise up and expel it (…) The withdrawal was in fact rapid and disorderly for the enemy (…) The enemy has no cause in Yemen, especially the local instruments, who carry out Saudi agendas for money."

 

» The curse of Allah is upon the wrongdoers. « Quran (11:18).

 

Western characterizations of Yemeni "aggression" once again don‘t even qualify as pathetic. Hizam al-Assad clarifies that "we have a trajectory within the framework of operations imposing the equation of ‘blockade for blockade’ and 'escalation for escalation,' and this is our primary orientation. And had the Saudi enemy not sought to disrupt this trajectory and break this equation (…) our trajectory is clear: to wrest away the legitimate Yemeni rights, and to break the blockade imposed on our country by the Saudi enemy."

The US Navy was previously de facto expelled from the Red Sea by advanced Yemeni military capabilities—including hypersonic missiles, 100% locally manufactured. Seems like Riyadh did not understand the lesson. The Yemeni Armed Forces confirmed that the Saudis launched dozens of air raids, "across the governorates of Taiz, Hodeidah, Marib, and Al-Jawf", carried out by F-15s and Typhoons taking off from King Fahd base in Taif and King Khalid base in Khamis Mushait. Unflapabble spokesman of Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier Yahya Saree—who I had the honor to meet last year in Yemen—confirmed that Made in Yemen surface-to-air missiles forced Saudis and mercenaries to abandon the base in Taiz, one of those specifically designed to harass Yemen.

 

» O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will

support you and strengthen your footing. « Quran (47:7).

Taiz is key: one of Yemen's largest cities. Ansarallah is now in full control—a massive strategic asset. As strategic assets go, few compare to Mayun island—also known as Perim, smack in the middle of the Bab al-Mandab. There’s a military airfield and a military base built by the UAE with Israeli cooperation, crammed with high-tech weapons. All that is now Ansarallah property. Now that Ansarallah controls virtually the whole western coast, what’s left to conquer is essentially Marib—for the oil and gas fields—and the port of Aden, which congregates the bulk of the mercenary forces regimented against Sana'a.

Saudi Arabia's Lose-Lose Predicament

The Ansarallah Rolling Thunder complicates the chessboard in West Asia—and beyond—to a mesmerizing degree. The price of oil is out of control. The IRGC is warning about launching a new weapon that "will give imperialists a heart attack"—as in shattering the wobbly American naval blockade.

The much-spun Mecca Defense Alliance is facing its first serious birth pangs. Turkjiye is somewhat already embedded in the Saudi war on Yemen—as Turkish drones have been falling like flies inside Yemen for weeks now. Pakistan has meekly warned that the defense pact could become operational—only to backtrack and state that it does not apply to a pre-existent situation (as in the Saudi war started in 2015). MBS should organize a pilgrimage to the Gate to shed his strategic Tears. Anything Saudi, even seagulls, won't cross the Bab al-Mandab under supervision of the Yemeni Armed Forces.

They have no fifth-generation fighter jets, no Patriot batteries, and no billion-dollar defense contracts. What they do have is something no money can buy: warrior hearts that refuse to surrender, refuse to kneel.

The Yemeni army's largest mass-extermination operation of the week, unleashing Soviet Strela-2/3, Russian Igla-S, Iranian Misagh-1/2, and Chinese QW-1 MANPADS against Saudi armored forces and M1 Abrams tanks deployed to invade and occupy Yemen.

Now couple it with the Big Bang: the coordinated multiple strike on the Abqaiq-to-Yanbu pipeline, the last remaining route for Saudi oil exports after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a massive 100 km black smoke column rising to the desert sky captured on Sentinel-3 satellite imagery.
 

A large smoke plume over the desert southeast of Medina, along

the East-West pipeline (Petroline) toward Mahd adh-Dhahab.

Is Yemen getting ready to topple the House of Saud? Saudi Arabia has an estimated 5,000 to 15,000 princes—but they don't fight. They rely on foreign mercenaries and Pakistani pilots. Their wealth can buy weapons, but can it buy loyalty? Where is the army willing to die for these degenerates?

Consequences

Expect production costs for nitrogen fertilizer plants from Europe to Asia to go totally out of control. Wheat, rice and maize yields are certified to fall, drastically, in tandem with skyrocketing diesel prices. Irrigation and harvesting will become a privilege for the wealthy. Ansarallah now has the luxury of installing a toll gate, arguably multi-layered, in the Bab al-Mandab, if they want it. Yet no exceptions for Riyadh; the dumb desert bedouins will only get a list of harsh demands.

In a televised address on July 30, 2026, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of Yemen's Ansar Allah, quoted Trump's own words before the entire Arab world: "Trump himself said Saudi Arabia is a cow; they milk it until not a drop remains, then slaughter it for meat."

Saudi Arabia’s prospects are dire, as it’s entering the worst possible lose-lose configuration: onshore oil infrastructure in tatters, maritime export routes blockaded. The verdict is not pronounced, yet. But it walks and talks, ominously, like Saudi Arabia being set up to fall, reduced to a desert wasteland, to the benefit of the usual suspects.

 

Reference:

Pepe Escobar (September 11, 2026) -  Yemen Rocks the Gate of Tears.

» The Italian intelligence agency knows very well that the catastrophic attack was planned and carried out by the CIA and Mossad, with the help of the Zionist world, to accuse Arab countries and persuade Western powers to invade Iraq and Afghanistan. « — Francesco Cossiga, former President of Italy, Corriere della Sera, 2007.  

25 years ago, on September 11, 2001: The United States Government, working in tandem with Israel and Saudi Arabia, MASSACRED close to 3,000 innocent American citizens IN COLD BLOOD. They used expert-controlled demolition (thermite, fuses, blasting caps) to bring down these massive buildings, which, according to one of the chief architects of the towers, were made to take MULTIPLE impacts from jet planes, then BOLDLY LIED to your face, telling you it was "pancake theory." 

 

See also:

Pepe Escobar (July 30, 2026) - Iran's Methodical Gutting of US Power in West Asia. 

Foad Izadi (July 29, 2026) - "Iran Will Make Sure the US Economy Is Destroyed." 

 TPR (July 21, 2026) - Al-Aqsa Triangle: Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab, and Suez Chokepoints. 

Gerry Nolan (2025) - Yemen Is Where Empires Go to Die. 

Captain Dan Hanley (2025) - The Truth Behind 9/11. 

 

Al-Aqsa Triangle: Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab, and Suez Chokepoints

Following the partial disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandab Strait is emerging as a second potential global energy chokepoint. The Ansar Allah movement (Houthis) in Yemen has announced an initial naval blockade targeting Saudi vessels, citing the long-standing Saudi air and sea blockade of Yemen. 

Al-Aqsa Triangle: Yemen–Iran strategy to disrupt global trade
by closing the Middle East's three key maritime chokepoints.

Bab al-Mandab links the Suez–Red Sea corridor to the Indian Ocean and, alongside Hormuz, forms a dual chokepoint system vulnerable to escalation via Iran-aligned actors. A simultaneous disruption would block roughly a quarter of global energy flows and a large share of Asia–Europe trade, with Hormuz carrying 27% of seaborne oil and 20% of LNG, and the Bab al-Mandab/Suez corridor each handling 11% of global trade and 8% of LNG. 

The Bab al-Mandab is not yet fully closed. Commercial traffic continues, but the corridor is operating under elevated threat conditions. Attacks on selected vessels have increased, producing selective disruption rather than a comprehensive blockade. In response, some shipping lines are rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope, while others continue transit under heightened security measures, including naval presence and route adjustments. In response to constraints at Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has shifted a significant share of exports to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, where approximately 4 million barrels of crude are loaded daily. Roughly 3 million barrels per day are destined for Asian markets and transit the Bab al-Mandab.

American worthless signature: The repeated breaches of the agreement by the Great Satan regarding the MOU signed by the Presidents of Iran and the US have once again laid bare a fundamental truth: the signature of the US President is utterly worthless and devoid of credibility. It further reaffirms that coercion and brutality are inseparable components of the US creed and doctrine. Imam Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei, July 17, 2026.

Rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope adds 6,000 km (3,700 miles) and 10–14 days transit time, in some cases longer. This materially increases fuel, charter, and operating costs. War-risk insurance premiums for Red Sea transit have also surged, adding several hundred thousand USD per voyage. Escalation risk centers on a full blockade scenario. If Ansar Allah forces interdict all international shipping, not just Saudi vessels, the impact would be significantly greater.

 

Strategic Trade Significance: Hormuz vs. Bab al-Mandab

Hormuz concentrates unmatched upstream energy dependency, funneling roughly 20% of global oil (17–20 million bpd), over 20% of LNG, and a decisive share of global helium vital for high-tech and medical supply chains. Because Saudi and UAE pipeline bypasses cover only a fraction of normal volumes, any disruption creates an immediate physical supply deficit—driving rapid oil and gas repricing with direct spillovers into petrochemicals, fertilizers, and industrial inputs.

Bab al-Mandab anchors throughput rather than production, serving as the southern gateway to Suez. It carries 12–15% of global trade, including major Asia–Europe container traffic, dry bulk, and mid-single-digit million bpd of oil. Unlike Hormuz, these flows can be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope, though doing so adds roughly 6,000 km, 10–14 days, and sharp increases in fuel costs, vessel utilization constraints, freight rates, and war-risk premiums.

Consequently, their economic transmission mechanisms diverge. Hormuz is a quantity shock that removes physical supply and forces immediate energy repricing. Bab al-Mandab is a friction shock that preserves supply but degrades delivery efficiency, triggering broader, slower-moving inflation across manufactured goods, energy derivatives, and food. Fertilizer markets sit at the intersection, relying on Hormuz for Gulf ammonia and urea to exit, and on Bab al-Mandab for efficient delivery to European and African markets.

Simultaneous impairment escalates systemic risk nonlinearly. Upstream supply contraction combines with downstream logistical breakdown, eliminating volume availability and transit efficiency at once. This dual constraint compresses global inventories, amplifies price volatility, and propagates cost increases across industrial inputs and consumer goods with minimal buffering capacity.

The Bab al-Mandab handles thousands of commercial transits annually and links the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and Suez Canal—one of the world's critical trade corridors. Full closure would force large-scale rerouting around Africa, extending delivery times, increasing freight rates and insurance costs, and placing renewed stress on global supply chains.  

 

July 21, 2026: Iran Destroys F-15 Hanger Base, 100 US Troops Lost as Trump Panics.

Cost transmission effects would likely be broad-based. Higher transport costs would feed into fuel prices (gasoline, diesel, heating oil), airfares, food, consumer goods, and imported products. Firms would absorb higher logistics and energy costs, with partial pass-through to end consumers.

July 21, 2026: Bab al-Mandab Strait Becomes New Shipping Flashpoint as Houthis Signal Blockade.

 

The EU is engaged via Operation Aspides with a mandate limited to protecting civilian shipping. The US and the UK are conducting separate military strikes against targets in Yemen. Historical precedent indicates limited containment success: prior multinational naval deployments with dozens of warships failed to durably constrain Ansar Allah capabilities. Current Ansar Allah systems include even more advanced drones and missiles than in 2025.

Zero Exits: Houthis Blockade Saudi Arabia. 

 

A concurrent escalation in Bab al-Mandab alongside sustained tension in the Strait of Hormuz would affect the region's two principal energy and trade corridors simultaneously, posing a high-risk scenario for global economic disruption and upward pressure on energy, transport, and consumer prices.

The Skyscraper Indicator 1790 - 2015 │ Elliott Wave International

This market sentiment indicator has a reliable history that goes back nearly 200 years!
It's sending a signal today that's as clear as it's ever been.
Source: Elliott Wave International (Feb 27, 2017)

 
Cycles analyst Edward Dewey (1895-1978) was the chief economics analyst for the US Department of Commerce when he developed the "Skyscraper Indicator" in the 1940s: It correlates human optimism to the number of high-rise buildings under construction. When people are very optimistic, they tend to express their feelings in massive construction projects, especially very tall buildings, because they have a need to build toward the sky! Since this extreme optimism is reached at major market peaks, in the economy, severe economic downturns usually follow; not just declines in real estate prices. The world’s current tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (828 m), nicely illustrates this process: It was built as a monument to the Gulf emirate’s boom in the middle years of last decade and opened in late 2009, just as the emirate plunged into financial crisis.

Experts note the 18-year financial cycle was disrupted by the First and Second World War,
but returned to its former state in 2006 (HERE)

It doesn't need a prophet to tell where the next bubbles are about to pop: Of all of the world's skyscrapers under construction, China is home to 53% of them and since 2016 China's highest buildings exceed the 'One World Trade Center' (417 m) in New York by 200 meters. The boom is on though in mid 2013 the construction of the planned 838 meter Sky City in south-central China was halted by the authorities for not having a building permission. A similar craze for high rise has gripped South Korea and India. India just finished building two skyscrapers and has 14 skyscrapers currently under construction. However, having survived the Arab Spring miraculously, it is this decrepit royal kleptocracy in Saudi Arabia that is now decorating Jeddah with a 1,007 meter high 'Kingdom Tower'. Let's have a look at what happened during recent high times in different places: The construction of the Taipei 101 (508 m) began in 1999 and was completed in 2004. The duration coincided without the recession in the early 2000s and the tech bubble while in 2010 the completion of the Burj Khalifa coincided with the current global financial crisis. The Asian economic crisis, currency devaluation and speculation in stock and property coincided in 1997-1998 with the completion of the Petronas Towers (452 m), the tallest buildings in the world at the time. Now the 18-Year Real Estate Cycle will again be due to peak and pop around 2016 (+/-). See also HERE

Source: The Visual Capitalist (Feb 11, 2016)