Houthi official warns of potential closure of Bab al-Mandeb Strait
Hussein al-Ezzi, deputy foreign minister of the Houthi administration in Sanaa, said the group may shut the waterway if what he described as obstructive actions persist
A senior official from Yemen's Houthi movement has warned that the group could move to close the strategically vital Bab al-Mandeb Strait, citing continued policies that it says undermine prospects for peace.
Hussein al-Ezzi, deputy foreign minister of the Houthi administration in Sanaa, said the group may shut the waterway if what he described as obstructive actions persist, says Al Jazeera.
"And therefore, it is best for Trump—and the complicit world—to immediately end all practices and policies that obstruct peace, and to show the respect required for the rights of our people and nation," al-Ezzi said, addressing former US President Donald Trump and other international actors.
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He also stressed the finality of such a move, saying, "If Sanaa decides to close the Bab al-Mandeb, then all of mankind and jinn will be utterly powerless to open it."
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is a key maritime route linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is considered one of the world's most important shipping chokepoints. At its narrowest, the strait is about 29 km (18 miles) wide, forcing vessels to pass through two confined channels for inbound and outbound traffic.
The waterway serves as a primary gateway for ships transiting to and from the Suez Canal, a major conduit for global trade.
It is also a critical route for seaborne commodities, including crude oil and refined fuels transported from the Gulf to markets in Europe, as well as Russian oil shipments bound for Asia.
