Why a narrow strait could tip the Middle East crisis further

The conflict in the Middle East is widening fast. 

Yemen's Houthi rebels have targeted Saudi Arabian ships in the Red Sea - threatening to cut off a crucial route for the kingdom's oil exports. 

The price of oil has surpassed 100 US-dollars a barrel for the first time since May.  

Meanwhile the US has carried out its 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iran.   

So, what’s really going on here? Is this the start of a broader regional crisis, or are we seeing a dangerous standoff that could yet be contained? 

Today on The Front Page, University of Otago international relations professor Robert Patman is with us to unpack the stakes for global shipping, energy markets, and the risk of further escalation in the Middle East. 

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