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Houthi Offensive Threatens Global Shipping at Bab al-Mandeb Strait — AI-generated representative image: a cargo ship and tanker transit the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the strategic Red Sea chokepoint at the center of the Houthi offens

Editorial Team

Yemen envoy warns Iran-allied rebels are seizing Red Sea coast ground to tighten control over a vital maritime chokepoint.

Yemen's Ambassador to Qatar, Rajeh Badi, has warned that a surprise Houthi offensive along the Red Sea coast could escalate into a wider regional war with global consequences. In an interview on Wednesday, the former government spokesman said the Iran-allied rebels are advancing through the mountain chains of Taiz province toward strategic ground overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's most vital maritime arteries.

The developments matter because Bab al-Mandeb connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a critical passage for global energy and food supplies. The ambassador warned that if the Houthis manage to disrupt maritime traffic in these waters, the world could face another Strait of Hormuz scenario, with potentially even greater impact on international shipping.

Offensive Targets Strategic Chokepoint

Badi described the Houthis as "the aggressors" and accused them of launching the offensive to let Iran tighten its grip on maritime routes through its proxy. He said the rebels have advanced on al-Makha (Mocha) and al-Waziyah and now control large stretches of the mountain chain overlooking the Red Sea in Taiz province.

The Yemeni government has responded by opening fronts in al-Jawf, Marib and al-Bayda. Badi said his government and its armed forces had not violated any truce since 2021, placing responsibility for the escalation squarely on the Houthis.

Geography and Regional Stakes

Bab al-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. To the north, the Red Sea leads to the Suez Canal, while farther east lies the Strait of Hormuz, another critical chokepoint. This geography gives Yemen's conflict consequences far beyond its borders, with Saudi Arabia already being drawn into the confrontation.

The Houthis have targeted Saudi territory, civilian infrastructure in the kingdom's south and Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea. Major-General Turki al-Maliki, spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition, said the Houthis attacked the Saudi cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Jizan with ballistic missiles and drones on Wednesday. He did not elaborate on any casualties.

Badi, speaking to the media for the first time since taking up his post, said these attacks are designed to rebrand the conflict as a Saudi-Yemeni war rather than an internal fight over Yemen's state and future.

Iran's Role and Peace Efforts

Badi said Tehran's relationship with the Houthis is now impossible to hide, with Iranian officials openly boasting about it and Houthi leaders discussing their strategic ties. He described the Houthis as one of Iran's key regional arms, alongside Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Popular Mobilisation Forces in Iraq.

The ambassador recalled that former President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi had warned that if Iran gained control over both Bab al-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz, it would not need a nuclear weapon, describing such control as more powerful than any nuclear arsenal.

Badi also said the government had exhausted peaceful avenues after more than 13 years of dialogue and agreements, including after the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa. He described the Houthis as "an armed proxy, an extension of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps" who do not represent the Yemeni people.

What Lies Ahead

Badi urged the international community to stand with Yemen's government, describing the Houthi threat as one that no longer targets Yemenis alone. The ambassador said the Yemeni people are fighting to reclaim their state, republic, dignity and stability.

No official confirmation of casualties from Wednesday's attacks on Saudi cities has been released, and further details on the scope of the Houthi offensive remain to be confirmed.