SANA’A/WASHINGTON (HT): Houthi forces have seized strategically important islands and large stretches of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, tightening their hold around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait—one of the world’s most important shipping and energy corridors.
United States officials reportedly met Houthi representatives in Muscat after the rapid territorial advance. The Houthis told Washington they did not intend to attack American vessels, saying restrictions would target ships linked to Saudi Arabia.
The assurances have been met with caution because of the movement’s previous attacks on commercial shipping and its close ties with Iran. Disruption at Bab al-Mandeb, alongside continuing restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz, could raise fuel, freight and consumer prices worldwide.
For Somalia, Djibouti and other Red Sea states, the crisis presents an immediate maritime-security risk. Washington, already stretched by its war with Iran, has so far resisted Saudi requests for direct military intervention against the Houthis.
