sea lane

An area of long-simmering disputes, the South China Sea serves a key sea lane for global trade.

That's not far from Yemen, where the pro-Iranian Houthis now control much of the nation and have recently interrupted international sea lanes, resulting in air strikes by U.S. and British planes.

The strikes were intended to degrade the Iran-backed militants’ ability to attack ships in sea lanes that are critical for global trade, a campaign they have carried out for almost four months.

The strikes signaled that the Biden administration intends to wage a sustained and, at least for now, open-ended campaign against the Iran-backed group that has disrupted traffic in vital international sea lanes.

The shipping industry was also bracing for potential economic fallout as the Red Sea, a vital sea lane, is increasingly drawn into the regional unrest.