Published on
29/07/2026 - 17:28 GMT+2
The Houthi armed group is working with Iran to charge ships to transit the Bab el-Mandeb in the Red Sea, threatening another waterway after Tehran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a minister in Yemen's internationally recognised government said on Wednesday.
The Bab el-Mandeb, a narrow maritime artery in the Red Sea whose name means "Gate of Tears" in Arabic, has been a critical route for delivering crude to the international market after Tehran's attacks and threats choked off Gulf energy exports via Hormuz.
The move was "a dangerous escalation aimed at transforming one of the world's most strategic maritime corridors into a permanent source of funding for the militia's military and terrorist activities," Yemen's Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said.
