Yemen’s internationally recognised government says the Houthi movement is trying to build the same kind of leverage over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait that Iran has long been seen as holding in the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking in Riyadh, Yemen’s foreign minister warned that the group wants influence over shipping flows through one of the Red Sea’s most sensitive maritime passages.
The warning frames the Houthis’ ambitions as more than a domestic Yemeni issue. By comparing the group’s approach to Iran’s strategy in Hormuz, the Yemeni government is arguing that control over a narrow sea lane can be used to pressure regional rivals and disrupt international trade.
Yemen’s leadership also said global complacency has helped embolden the Houthis. The message from Riyadh was that a weak international response has allowed the group to grow more confident and pursue a wider role in regional security beyond Yemen’s internal conflict.
The comments add to concerns over the security of Red Sea shipping and the risks tied to chokepoints such as Bab al-Mandeb. For Yemen’s government, the issue is not only military or political, but also a question of how unchecked influence over a vital waterway could affect wider stability in the region.
