As the war in the Middle East draws in another player, attention is turning to a second vital shipping route that could become the next pressure point for global oil supply.For weeks, all eyes have been on the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran began blocking oil transit through the channel in response to US and Israeli strikes, triggering some of the worst global oil shocks in history Over the weekend, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis launched missiles at Israel for the first time since the current conflict with Iran began, pointing to a potential new threat to global shipping — this time to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, or "Gate of Tears".Named for the dangerous conditions and shipwrecks that historically plagued the narrow waterway off the coast of Yemen, the strait carries about 8 to 9 per cent of the world’s seaborne oil.About 30km wide, it connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and forms a key link in one of the world's most important trade corridors, the Suez Canal shipping route.That shipping route connects Asia and Europe via the Red Sea, allowing vessels to avoid the substantially longer and more costly journey around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.The Houthis have shown an ability to strike targets far beyond Yemen and disrupt shipping lanes around the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea, as they did in support of Hamas for much of its conflict with Israel since October 2023.The armed group, designated a terrorist organisation in Australia, said they were prepared to act in the event of further escalation against Iran