Houthis threaten Red Sea blockade as FDA keeps lettuce warning
NPR reported new risks to oil routes, a Pentagon funding fight and an unresolved Cyclospora outbreak tied to a lettuce recall.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they plan to block traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, NPR reported, raising the risk of new pressure on oil shipments through the Red Sea. The announcement adds another flashpoint as the U.S. and Iran remain locked in fighting around the Strait of Hormuz, another major energy corridor.
NPR reported that the Bab al-Mandeb route is used for Saudi oil exports amounting to millions of barrels a day. A shutdown there could affect energy supplies and push prices higher, according to NPR’s Emily Feng.
Red Sea route faces new pressure
Feng told NPR’s Up First that a Houthi blockade would test both Gulf countries’ alignment against the Houthis and Iran, and the durability of energy shipping routes. NPR reported that Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries are working on land-based pipeline projects to reduce dependence on sea lanes, though those projects could take years to complete.
NPR reported that diplomatic efforts are still underway to revive a temporary ceasefire. Iran’s foreign minister said this week that the war could end “through total military victory or through negotiations,” according to NPR.
Hegseth faces Senate questions
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is due to appear before the Senate Appropriations Committee as the White House asks for nearly $90 billion, most of it for military operations in Iran, NPR reported. The hearing gives lawmakers a chance to question Hegseth about the conflict after the Pentagon has not briefed the press since May, according to NPR.
NPR reported that President Trump’s visit to Dover, Maryland, to receive the bodies of two soldiers killed in Jordan last Friday coincides with the hearing. A U.S. military official who was not authorized to speak publicly told NPR that the Defense Department has been slow to release casualty information.
A Pentagon spokesperson said 100 service members have been injured in the past two weeks, NPR reported. NPR’s Quil Lawrence reported that lawmakers are also worried about the fast use of U.S. munitions, and three former military officials told NPR that the Pentagon’s limited communication has hurt trust among the public, Congress and regional allies facing Iranian attacks.
FDA keeps focus on recalled lettuce
The Food and Drug Administration has not identified the source of a Cyclospora outbreak, NPR reported. The agency continues to advise consumers to avoid iceberg lettuce grown or processed by Taylor Farms in Mexico, even after it said an earlier test had wrongly detected the parasite in a lettuce sample from the company.
The FDA said on social media that the false-positive result does not change its investigation or the data supporting Taylor Farms’ current voluntary recall, according to NPR. NPR reported that more than 1,600 confirmed cases of diarrhea have been linked to the parasite, while suspected cases continue to rise into the thousands.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.