Iran has insisted on some measure of control over the strait, saying it will not go back to being an open international waterway, as it was before the war. The officials, who were briefed on the negotiations, portrayed the potential deal as a temporary solution to the dispute over the strait. The Houthis claimed to have fired a ballistic missile at another Saudi oil tanker. In July, the Houthis announced they were closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that leads to the Red Sea for Saudi-linked shipping. That puts additional pressure on international shipping since the Red Sea became a key alternative route for Saudi oil exports during the war.