Escalation in the Middle East: Houthis issue new threat to strategic port
The Iranian-backed militia in Yemen threatens to shut down operations in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait area, a critical transit point for global maritime trade.
Houthi rebels in Yemen, supported by Iran, are escalating their attacks along the Red Sea coast, shutting down operations at a strategic port and moving significantly closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical transit point for global maritime trade. This is according to a report published in The Wall Street Journal.
According to the report, the terrorist organization's recent missile and drone attacks forced the complete closure of the port of Mocha, which serves as a central logistics hub for civilian shipping and forces opposing the Houthis operating along the coast. The current escalation in Yemen demonstrates how the war against Iran is fueling instability throughout the Middle East and increasing the danger of further disruptions to global energy flows. This comes after months in which the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran caused the most severe disruption to oil supplies in recent history.
Adam Baron, an expert on Yemen, noted to the newspaper:
"This is the most significant escalation in quite a few years, perhaps since 2020."
According to him, the port of Mocha is a central logistics artery, and its shutdown makes it difficult for anti-Houthi forces to resupply and repel rebel attacks. The port director, Abdulmalik al-Sharabi, told state media that the attacks damaged commercial facilities, workshops, equipment, and the port dock, resulting in 16 deaths and 22 injuries. In addition, more than 1,500 workers were left unemployed.
At the same time, another Houthi attack last week led to the deaths of four workers on a cargo ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, is a vital alternative route for Saudi oil exports, which is now threatened by the Iranian blockade in Hormuz. These attacks could amplify Tehran's strategy of disrupting global energy supplies in order to exert economic pressure on the USA and its allies to end the war.
The government of Yemen, which enjoys the support of Saudi Arabia, is fighting back. The Deputy Minister of Defense noted that many Houthi fighters were eliminated along the front lines in the Marib and Taiz regions, and promised the opening of new fronts within the Houthi areas of influence. Despite the risks and the declaration of a blockade by the Houthis last month, data from the company Kpler shows that traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait continues, albeit under high alert.
