The Houthi advance poses a direct threat to the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, and global maritime trade, according to Rashad al-Alimi. He emphasized that any military action near Bab al-Mandeb should not be viewed solely as an internal Yemeni matter, given the direct impact on crucial international waterways.
In a statement issued after a meeting with Egyptian ambassador Ihab Abu Saree, the leader of the internationally recognized Yemeni Government accused the Houthis of advancing along the western coast with the support of specialists linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and allied groups.
These allegations arise at a time of intensifying confrontations on the western coast of Yemen and the advance of Iran-backed Yemeni rebels toward strategic points in the Red Sea. The Houthis took control of the city of Mocha today, a significant advance towards the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait.
The current events are a consequence of the resumption of the conflict in Yemen in July, although it began in 2014 and has been under a truce since 2022, all occurring against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East.
Rashad al-Alimi stated that Iran seeks to empower the Houthis to influence the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea, aiming to divert pressure from Tehran to the region, international trade, and global markets.
The Bab el-Mandeb strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and functions as an essential maritime passage between Europe and Asia, serving as an alternative route to the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of world hydrocarbons passed before the Israeli-American offensive against the Islamic Republic, launched on February 28.
For their part, the Houthis stated today that navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb strait is 'safe' and proceeding normally following their advances on the western coast of Yemen. Mohamed Abdulsalam, the rebels' spokesperson and chief negotiator, declared on the social network X that current operations have specific goals and are defensive in nature, promising to cease when aggression against Yemen ends and the blockade is suspended.
The 'blockade' mentioned by the Houthis refers to the restrictions imposed since 2015 by the international coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which supports the internationally recognized Yemeni Government, in areas controlled by the rebels, mainly ports and airports.
However, Abdulsalam also stressed that 'real, just, and honorable peace' remains the strategic option for the Houthis, advocating for relations based on good neighborliness, mutual respect, and shared interests. The spokesperson added that the rebels have 'no territorial ambitions regarding neighboring Arab, Islamic, or any other nations' and that they have 'not initiated any aggression against any nation.'
Following their advances on the western coast of Yemen, the Houthis reported dozens of Saudi airstrikes in the last 24 hours. Yahya Saree, the spokesman for the Yemeni group and cited by the Saba agency, informed that Saudi aircraft conducted 64 airstrikes in the provinces of Taiz, Hodeidah, Marib, and Al Jawf, using F-15 and Typhoon fighters launched from bases in Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis are part of the so-called axis of resistance, composed of political and armed groups supported by Iran, alongside Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Shia militias in Iraq. Since July, they have declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and attacked several vessels of the Arab kingdom.
