Houthis Could Enter Iran War As Soon As Monday
The Iran-aligned Houthis may block the Bab al-Mandab Strait to pressure the West and support Iran, risking global oil price surges and economic strain, analysts say.
- On Friday, reports said Yemen's Ansar Allah consider closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait while limiting themselves to threats since the war broke out last month.
- Drawing on past tactics, the Houthis consider blocking the Bab al-Mandab to support Iran and pressure the West, citing attacks on shipping linked to Israel and the US since October 2023.
- Analysts note the group's arsenal and posture: the Houthis have sophisticated missiles and drones able to strike hundreds of kilometres, while Abdul Malik al-Houthi said, 'Our fingers are on the trigger, ready to respond at any moment should developments warrant it'.
- If the Bab al-Mandeb Strait is blocked, global shipping firms and tankers would reroute around Africa, raising shipping costs, fuel prices, and inflation worldwide, as the route supplies up to seven million barrels of oil daily.
- Strategically, the Houthis face political and financial trade-offs, as firing at the Red Sea could end their independence from Tehran and provoke retaliation from Saudi Arabia, Gulf allies, the US, and Israel.
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Against the backdrop of Iran's blockade of the Strait of Ormous, another trade artery, the Bab El Mandeb Strait, could be threatened, providing 12 per cent of all maritime oil transport and 8 per cent of liquefied natural gas.
bne IntelliNews
Restoring LibertyHouthi join the fight, threaten to close Red Sea straits
Yemen’s Houthi movement has announced it is entering the escalating regional conflict on the side of Iran, warning it plans to target US naval assets in the Red Sea. In a statement released by a representative of the group, the Iran-aligned movement said: “We will strike American ships in the Red Sea. This war is a fight for the entire Ummah.”
Sources who spoke to Israeli public broadcaster Kan said that the Houthis are under great pressure from Iran and Hezbollah and may enter the war after the end of the Eid holiday.
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