Updated

The State Department urged Americans to reconsider travel to the Middle East as Houthi attacks intensify and Iran continues to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed to shipping. The advisory reflects heightened concern over regional security and the potential for disruption to global energy flows through one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. The standoff has kept markets on edge given the strait's role in global oil transit, with any prolonged closure threatening to tighten crude supply and lift energy prices.