ISTANBUL
A Houthi official in Yemen has not ruled out the closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as part of the ongoing military escalation between Iran, the US and Israel, as war entered its second month.
The Houthi group launched missile strikes toward Israel on Saturday, the first by the Iran-backed Yemeni group since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Tehran last month.
"We are in joint coordination with our brothers in Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq," Mohammed Mansour, deputy information minister in the Houthi-run government, told Al-Araby Television on Saturday.
He said the Houthis joined the conflict “to provide support to our brothers in Iran who are fighting epic battles” as well as the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Mansour said the Houthis' move to join the war “aims to increase pressure on Israel and the US.”
“Every step we take is carefully calculated to be effective and to increase the pressure on Israel and the US,” he said.
Yemen “bears a moral, religious, and humanitarian responsibility toward Iran, Hezbollah, and Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces,” the Houthi official said, describing the alliance as “primarily aiming to support Palestine.”
Mansour said the Houthi group has many options to pile pressure on Israel and the US amid the current war with Iran.
"The Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and Bab al-Mandab will be among the options,” he said.
The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.
“We have extensive experience in naval and land operations, and our previous intervention to support Gaza was one of the important surprises for the world," the Houthi official said.
The Houthi group had launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping lanes in response to Israel’s deadly offensive on Gaza, which killed more than 72,000 people since October 2023.
Regarding the possible closure of the strategic strait or attacks on passing ships, Mansour said: “This depends on the Israeli and US escalation, and the American preparations for any ground movement.”
“The Yemeni leadership makes its decisions independently based on military and political assessments, taking into account that any step will be calculated and effective.”
Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, so far killing over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, along with Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.