Yemeni leader warns Red Sea, Suez Canal at risk from military shifts near Bab Al-Mandab

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi has warned that any attempt to alter the military situation near the Bab Al-Mandab Strait cannot be considered solely a Yemeni affair, stressing that the security of the strait is directly linked to the safety of the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, and global trade routes.

Al-Alimi explained that Iran, by supporting the Houthi group, seeks to give it influence over Bab Al-Mandab and the Red Sea, potentially allowing Tehran to shift the pressures it faces onto the region, international markets, and global trade.

The remarks came during Al-Alimi’s meeting on Thursday with Egyptian Ambassador to Yemen Ihab Abu Sreea, marking the end of the envoy’s term. The two discussed developments in Yemen and Red Sea security.

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Al-Alimi said the recent escalation by the Houthis, with what he described as expertise linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and allied groups, is particularly focused on the western coast of Taiz province.

He emphasized that Bab Al-Mandab is a “vital international passage,” noting that any threat to the strait would not be limited to Yemen but would extend to the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, and the movement of global shipping and trade.

Al-Alimi affirmed that protecting Yemen’s coastline and restoring government control over the country’s territory, ports, and territorial waters is a shared interest for Yemen, Egypt, Arab states, and the international community.