Yemen warns Houthis are trying to control Red Sea shipping lanes

Yemen's internationally recognised government has warned that the Houthis are seeking to extend their influence over Red Sea shipping lanes by emulating Iran's approach in the Strait of Hormuz. The warning was delivered in Riyadh by Afrah al-Zouba, the foreign minister-designate for the Yemeni government, as tensions in the region continue to rise. She said the group's aim would be to control traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints.

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Al-Zouba said the Houthis want to "copy the Iranian model" and that this could effectively threaten two major gateways, the Red Sea and the Gulf. She argued that the group had been emboldened by what she described as an insufficient international response to its activities. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean, making it a critical route for commercial shipping.

The comments come as shipping through the Red Sea is already falling. According to the figures cited by the Yemeni official, only 11 commodity vessels passed through the waterway on Sunday. That decline matters because the Red Sea carries a significant share of global maritime trade, including a large portion of container traffic.

Any sustained disruption in this corridor can affect shipping costs, delivery times and wider trade flows. The warning also reflects a broader escalation between the Houthis, Saudi Arabia and Yemen's internationally recognised government. Earlier in July, the Houthis declared a maritime siege on Red Sea shipping to and from Saudi Arabia and launched missiles and drones at the kingdom.

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Saudi Arabia has since carried out air strikes on Hodeidah, the key port city held by the Houthis. The latest tensions are the most serious since a truce was agreed in 2022. The situation is significant because Yemen's western coastline gives whoever controls it leverage over traffic through Bab al-Mandeb.

That makes the conflict not only a domestic struggle but also a maritime-security issue with regional and international implications. The Red Sea route is especially important for global commerce because it connects to the Suez-linked shipping network and serves as a major passage for goods moving between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Al-Zouba said Yemen's government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, is prepared for further escalation.

She added that fire was being exchanged along the front line where Houthi-controlled territory meets government-controlled areas, but said no offensive had been launched. She also said nearly 20 fighters from both sides had died earlier this month in clashes around Hodeidah. What remains unclear is whether the current exchange will widen further, and whether shipping patterns in the Red Sea will continue to deteriorate in the coming days.

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