Yemen’s internationally recognized government warned on Wednesday that the Iranian-backed Houthis are planning to seize the Bab al-Mandeb Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea, Agence France-Presse reported.
“The Houthi militia ... is working to create the conditions for seizing control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait by expanding its presence along the western coast and attempting to control strategic Yemeni islands in the Red Sea,” Yemen’s information minister Moammar al-Eryani told the outlet.
The U.S. government designated the Houthis, who have controlled most of northwest Yemen, including its capital, Sana’a, since 2014, as a foreign terrorist organization in 2025.
For years, the group has launched attacks on shipping from the Red Sea port of Hodeidah. On Monday, it claimed responsibility for strikes on the government-controlled port of Mokha.
