🔶 The Houthis said the security of navigation in the Bab al-Mandab is guaranteed

🔶 The Houthis said the security of navigation in the Bab al-Mandab is guaranteed

The Houthis in Yemen say that despite the group’s forces controlling the Bab al-Mandab region, there is no reason for concern about freedom of navigation through this strategic passage.

Hazem al-Asad, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: “Freedom of navigation and international trade in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab is secure and orderly.”

He added that there is no reason for international concern because, according to him, ships passing from the direction of Yemen face no risk.

Bab al-Mandab is one of the world’s most important maritime straits, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Any insecurity along this route can affect the passage of commercial ships and oil tankers, insurance costs, and global shipping routes.

In this context, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the Islamic Republic emphasizes its “principled and unchanging” position regarding the necessity of respecting Yemen’s independence, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity. The Iranian foreign ministry also called for an end to what it described as the “illegal and inhumane siege” of Yemen.