Yemen’s Houthis say foreign shipping will be allowed to pass safely through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after the group captured strategic positions surrounding the vital Red Sea gateway, including the port of Mokha and Perim Island.
Houthi political spokesman Mohamed al-Bukhaiti said military action would be directed solely at Saudi-linked targets, insisting the group had no intention of attacking US vessels or ships belonging to other nations.
The Houthis, who earlier declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, accuse Riyadh of maintaining an unlawful siege on areas under their control. Al-Bukhaiti also acknowledged indirect communications with Washington through Oman, while reports indicate Saudi Arabia has sought greater US involvement as tensions intensify.
The escalation follows renewed fighting, Houthi drone and missile attacks against Saudi cities, and heightened concern over regional shipping as the Strait of Hormuz also remains severely disrupted. Washington has issued security warnings over the possibility of further Houthi-Saudi hostilities, although President Donald Trump has reportedly not authorised US military strikes in Yemen.
