Houthi offensive raises stakes around Bab al-Mandab Strait
The Saudi-led coalition says the Iran-backed Houthis have launched attacks in southern Saudi Arabia as they seek control of a strategic maritime route.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen says the Iran-backed Houthis have launched fresh attacks in southern Saudi Arabia, following an offensive aimed at controlling the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The strait links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a strategic maritime route. The reported offensive places control of the passage at the centre of the wider conflict involving the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition.
France 24 reported the coalition’s claims, but the available material provides no independent verification of the attacks or the offensive’s progress. It also does not establish whether the Houthis control any part of the strait.
Adam Baron, a fellow at the New America Foundation, said the ability to disrupt maritime shipping in both the Red Sea and the Gulf could create significant leverage and put pressure on the parties to reach a resolution.
That assessment describes a potential consequence rather than a confirmed disruption. The available reporting does not confirm that shipping has been interrupted.
