Bangladesh

Dhaka, September 19, 2026. The Bangladeshi press, heavily reliant on Reuters dispatches relayed by TBS News and The Daily Star, first notes the threat hanging over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital artery for oil, gas, and cargo that supply Asia. The Houthis have taken advantage of "deep divisions" among their opponents to seize the port of Mokha, Perim Island, and the strait, forcing Riyadh to reroute up to 64% of its oil exports through the East-West pipeline and the port of Yanbu, which has itself been targeted by drone strikes that have driven up crude oil prices.

Air alerts issued on Saturday in Riyadh, a first since the intensification of attacks, are presented as proof that "the war is spreading" to the kingdom, alongside the maritime blockade imposed on Saudi oil tankers since July. The Daily Star reports the Saudi accusation of a drone targeting Mecca on Tuesday, as well as the Houthi denial calling the allegation a "worn-out lie," and recalls that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which includes 57 Muslim countries including Bangladesh, has condemned these "heinous attacks" on holy sites.

On the diplomatic front, TBS News details Chinese pressure on Tehran: according to three Iranian sources cited by Reuters, Beijing has privately asked Iran to restrain the Houthis after a call from Riyadh, which is concerned about energy routes that the second-largest global economy depends on. Tehran has responded that regional stability depends on the end of the American-Israeli war. Washington, for its part, refuses any direct military support: Donald Trump has condemned the Houthi advance without intervening, limiting himself to an offer of intelligence, while Vice President JD Vance confirms direct contacts with a movement that has reportedly promised to spare American and Israeli ships.

The relayed dispatches finally report a nascent human toll: a Yemeni killed in Taif by the debris of an intercepted drone, over 80 injured according to Riyadh, and over 100,000 Yemenis displaced by the fighting, according to the IOM. For the Bangladeshi press, this chapter remains secondary to the energy stake and the fear that the war may close a second vital artery for Asian supply.