But the Houthis’ latest threat to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait - a critical chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden - is testing those limits. Why are the Houthis targeting the Red Sea? Why does the Red Sea matter? The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. "With recent Houthi threats in the Red Sea, more and more barrels will be halted.