Yemen’s internationally recognised government has warned that the Houthi group is trying to replicate Iran’s strategy in the Strait of Hormuz by disrupting shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red
Sea.
Yemen’s Foreign Minister-designate Afrah Al-Zouba said the Iran-backed group was attempting to gain influence over one of the world’s key shipping routes and had been emboldened by what she called an insufficient international response.
“The Houthis want to copy the Iranian model and this will shut down two main straits, the gateways into the Gulf and Red Sea,” Al-Zouba told reporters in Riyadh on Monday. “They think they will gain control over the Red Sea,” she added.
Red Sea Becomes New Flashpoint
The Red Sea has emerged as a new front in the wider Iran-related tensions, with the Houthis escalating attacks against Saudi Arabia through missile and drone strikes. The group has also announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi shipping.
Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes on Houthi military positions and has vowed to protect commercial shipping. Riyadh has accused the Houthis of acting in line with foreign interests.
Al-Zouba said Yemen’s government was prepared for any escalation. “At the end of the day, we are prepared for any escalations,” she said, adding that clashes were taking place along the frontline stretching from Yemen’s northwest region to the Saudi border, though neither side had launched a major offensive.
Fears Of Yemen War Returning
The latest tensions have raised fears of a return to large-scale conflict in Yemen, where fighting erupted after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition later intervened in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
A truce agreed in 2022 had reduced hostilities, but recent cross-border attacks have put the fragile calm under pressure. Saudi officials, Western diplomats and Yemeni officials now fear a wider conflict could return.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, located off Yemen’s coast, is a vital global trade route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. It is a key passage for energy shipments and international cargo.
Al-Zouba said Yemen wanted the conflict to end either through peaceful means or otherwise. “We think that this conflict now needs to come to an end, either via peaceful means, or the other way,” she said, as regional tensions continue to rise.
(With inputs from agencies)
