The Houthis vs Saudi Arabia | The new lords of the Red Sea
The article details the escalating conflict between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government following a dispute over Iranian-facilitated flights. This tension led to a Houthi naval blockade of the Red Sea and the seizure of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Why it matters
The control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait poses a significant threat to global maritime trade and energy security in one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints.
On July 13, an Iranian civilian aircraft carrying a high-level Houthi delegation was heading towards Sana’a, Yemen’s capital. Under an unwritten understanding between the Houthis (or Ansar Allah), who control northern and northwestern Yemen, including Sana’a, and the country’s Saudi-backed government, planes seeking to land in Houthi-held territory were required to obtain prior approval. The Houthi delegation had left Yemen on July 3 on another Iranian aircraft to attend the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader who was assassinated by the U.S. and Israel on February 28 when they launched their war against Tehran.
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