Houthi attacks in Bab al-Mandeb raise concerns over Red Sea shipping security
Escalating Houthi strikes on vessels in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait have killed crew members and prompted U.S. and regional partners to consider expanded maritime security measures.
Houthi forces attacked the Egyptian-owned cargo ship Tihamah in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, killing four crew members and two Yemeni rescuers, Yemeni and Pakistani officials said. The incident marks the first confirmed fatalities from a Houthi strike on commercial shipping since the U.S.–Iran conflict began in late February.
The strait, which links the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, is a vital conduit for energy and trade. Unlike the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran can directly threaten vessels from its coastline, Tehran’s influence over Bab al-Mandeb depends on its proxy, the Houthis, who operate from territory fragmented among rival Yemeni factions.
Amr Al Bidh, foreign affairs chief of the Southern Transitional Council, told Fox News Digital that naval patrols can protect individual ships but cannot eliminate launch sites or supply routes, adding that “you have to be on the ground” to secure the waterway.
U.N. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg warned the Security Council that renewed Houthi attacks risk drawing Yemen deeper into a regional confrontation, noting the threat of a return to large-scale fighting.
U.S. officials said Washington continues to focus on freedom of navigation in the Red Sea while working with regional partners, including Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognized Yemeni government, to deter attacks and disrupt Iranian support for the Houthis.
In response to the heightened risk, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a mutual-defense agreement on Aug. 7, and Saudi officials announced plans for a multinational maritime-defense coalition involving fourteen countries to protect shipping through Bab al-Mandeb, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Yemeni Nobel laureate Tawakkol Karman told the United Nations that Yemen’s collapse threatens international navigation, energy security and global supply chains, urging restoration of a functional Yemeni state as essential for regional stability.
Analysts noted that, unlike Hormuz, ships can bypass Bab al-Mandeb by sailing around Africa, which adds cost but prevents a single point of failure. They cautioned that while the Houthis act increasingly independently, their primary focus remains attacks on Saudi interests rather than a broader campaign against international shipping.