Yemeni minister: Houthi 'terrorist' attacks serve Iranian agenda targeting maritime security

Yemeni Minister of Information Moammar Al-Eryani said that the threats posed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Houthi terrorist militia are no longer just a security challenge for Yemen or the region, but have become a direct threat to one of the world’s most vital economic arteries.

Al-Eryani added that this comes as attacks on commercial vessels continue, threatening international sea lanes and targeting civilian infrastructure, all according to an Iranian agenda aimed at undermining maritime security, blackmailing the international community, and exposing global trade and energy supplies to unprecedented risks, according to the Yemeni News Agency.

He continued that the recent Houthi attacks on commercial ships reflect a new, bolder phase of Iran’s project in the Red Sea, turning this strategic waterway into a platform for political and military leverage that Tehran uses to pressure the international community whenever it faces crises or external pressures.

The minister stressed that this behavior embodies the doctrine of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which uses its regional proxies, including the Houthi terrorist militia, to destabilize security, threaten freedom of navigation, and disrupt international trade, regardless of the risks to civilian lives and the regional and global economies.

Al-Eryani pointed out that these developments show the need for more than temporary or limited responses to the Houthi threat. He called for an international strategy based on coordinated collective partnership, enhanced maritime security cooperation, stronger deterrence, cutting off funding and arms supplies to the militia, and preventing Iran from using its proxies to blackmail the international community and threaten one of the world’s most strategic maritime corridors.

He emphasized that securing the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait requires more than protecting ships at sea; it starts with addressing the root causes on land by supporting the Yemeni state and its legitimate institutions, enabling them to regain full sovereignty over their territory and coastline, and ending Houthi terrorist militia control of coastal areas used as platforms to threaten international navigation. He stressed that restoring the Yemeni state is not just a domestic issue, but a cornerstone for safeguarding regional and international maritime security and ensuring the uninterrupted flow of global trade.

Al-Eryani also highlighted the importance of efforts led by the United States, in cooperation with international partners, to enhance Red Sea security and protect freedom of navigation. He noted that these efforts have proven effective in countering terrorist attacks, securing commercial vessels, and maintaining the flow of trade and energy supplies.

It is noted that Iran, by targeting ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, seeks to use the strait as a pressure tool against international navigation. Iran claims its actions are based on Article 5 of the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States, but the US administration believes Iran is misinterpreting this article.

Article 5 of the memorandum stipulates that "Iran is obliged to take the necessary measures to resume navigation, ensure safe passage of ships, and remove military obstacles," but Washington considers that Iran is misapplying this provision.