Yemeni Houthis threaten to block Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Yemen’s Houthi movement has warned it could block the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait if it decides to enter the ongoing conflict in support of Iran, raising fresh concerns over the security of one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

An official from the Houthi military forces, Abed al-Thawr, said the group is considering a series of measures that could begin with a naval blockade targeting vessels linked to the United States and Israel, reports Tass.

“Once the decision to intervene is made, the first step could be the official declaration of a naval blockade against the United States and the Zionist regime,” al-Thawr said in remarks reported by Press TV on Saturday.

He warned that merchant ships and military vessels heading to the United States or Israeli-controlled territories could be stopped. Another option under consideration, he said, is a complete closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to ships bound for Israeli ports.

The narrow waterway between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden is a key global maritime corridor linking Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal, and any disruption could significantly affect international trade and energy shipments.

Escalating regional conflict

The threat comes amid escalating hostilities following a joint military operation launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28.

The strikes reportedly targeted several major Iranian cities, including Tehran, with Washington saying the operation aimed to counter alleged missile and nuclear threats from Tehran.

In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced retaliatory attacks on targets in Israel and US military facilities across the region, including bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Reports from Iranian sources also said that Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, along with several senior figures, was killed during the joint US-Israeli strikes.

The latest warning from Yemen’s Houthi movement, formally known as Ansar Allah, suggests the conflict could widen further, potentially threatening a crucial chokepoint for global shipping and energy supplies.