Hossein Aghayi, a member of the Iran International editorial team, referring to the Houthis’ advance in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, said that the Islamic Republic, through the Houthis’ advance, has been able to open two fronts of war against regional countries, in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. According to him, the Houthis’ goal is to bring Saudi Arabia to the negotiating table and extract concessions from Riyadh.

Aghayi added that it seems the Islamic Republic, ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, is also seeking to pressure Saudi Arabia by intensifying tensions, in order to persuade Riyadh to encourage Washington to negotiate with the Islamic Republic.