Houthis: Shipping through Bab al-Mandeb remains safe — only Saudi vessels will be blocked

The Houthi Foreign Ministry said shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait remains safe, dismissing concerns about the blocking of the strategic corridor linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

In a statement carried by the Houthi-run Saba news agency, the ministry accused Saudi Arabia of trying to “deceive the international community” about the situation in the strait.

According to the statement, the group has “every right” to strike “hostile Saudi military gatherings,” while stressing that only Saudi vessels will be blocked — ships of every other country are free to pass. “If the world wants stability and calm in the region, it must tell Saudi Arabia: ‘Stop interfering in Yemen’s affairs,'” the statement says.

The statement comes after the Houthis took control of the Hanish islands and key positions along Yemen’s western coast, giving Iran — their ally — influence over another strategic strait besides Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognized government of Yemen condemned the Houthi attacks, while Qatar warned that closing Bab al-Mandeb would be “catastrophic” for the world economy.

Source: Al Jazeera