Houthis Escalate Attacks on Shipping Lanes Near Bab el-Mandeb

The Iran-backed Houthis are ramping up their assault on shipping lanes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, stirring a serious strategic debate: could this waterway become the next Strait of Hormuz? The answer gets complicated quickly because of geography, and because of Yemen itself. Unlike the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran can loom over vessels directly from its own shores, Tehran's grip on Bab el-Mandeb rests almost entirely on its Houthi proxies. Worse still, the nation bordering this narrow channel is a fractured mess of rival militias and political factions. That means the United States and its regional partners are facing a threat that ships alone might not be able to fix.

The stakes got clear Tuesday when Houthis struck an Egyptian-owned cargo ship named Tihamah right in Bab el-Mandeb. Yemeni and Pakistani officials confirmed that four crew members, three from Pakistan and one from Indonesia, lost their lives. The violence did not stop there. After rescue crews arrived, a second Houthi attack killed two Yemeni rescuers, according to the country's Coast Guard. Reuters noted that if these deaths are verified, they mark the first fatalities in a Houthi strike on merchant shipping since the U.S.-Iran war kicked off on February 28.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait sits between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, linking the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea to the Red Sea. From there, the route leads northward to the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. It is a lifeline for energy shipments and commercial trade. The Suez Canal and Egypt's SUMED pipeline effectively cap off this massive Red Sea corridor at its northern end. But look south along that same corridor, and you find a country that has been locked in conflict for more than a decade.

The Houthis hold the capital, Sanaa, and most of northern Yemen. Meanwhile, the internationally recognized government backed by Saudi Arabia, plus various allied or competing groups, control other parts of the territory. In the south, the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist movement with United Arab Emirates backing, has been a major power player. This fragmentation is no longer just an internal issue; it is directly impacting waterway security.

Amr Al Bidh, who serves as the foreign affairs chief for the STC, told Fox News Digital that naval forces can guard individual ships but cannot erase the danger posed by Houthi launch sites perched over the maritime route. "Naval presence protects individual ships," Al Bidh said in an interview. "It does not take away Houthi launch sites, it does not interdict the smuggling routes that resupply them and it does not hold terrain." He was blunt about what is needed to finally secure Bab el-Mandeb: you have to be on the ground.

This instability comes against a backdrop of broader escalation in Yemen. U.N. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg addressed the Security Council Thursday, warning that the nation faces its gravest risk of sliding back into large-scale war since the U.N.-brokered truce of 2022. He cautioned that renewed Houthi attacks on commercial vessels could drag Yemen deeper into a wider regional confrontation. That truce did bring down major fighting after years of conflict following the Houthis' seizure of Sanaa in 2014 and Saudi-led military intervention the next year. Although the formal truce expired in October 2022, big-scale hostilities stayed comparatively limited for several years afterward.

On July 20, the Houthis declared what they called a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, threatening any vessel doing business with Saudi ports. Riyadh rejects the Houthi claim that Saudi Arabia has imposed a siege on Yemen. A White House official speaking on background said the United States expects the Houthis to keep upholding ceasefire terms. The official added that the Houthis "saw during Operation Rough Rider that the United States and President Trump will take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and U.S.

The United States is prioritizing core national security interests while pushing regional partners to lead on local stability issues. An official stated Washington wants to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and empower neighbors to resolve their own security challenges. The U.S. maintains continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen government regarding regional peace.

Tanker traffic has dropped significantly since the July 20 blockade declaration. United Against Nuclear Iran, using Joint Maritime Information Center data, estimates the decline sits at roughly 40%. Tracking systems show tankers broadcasting messages like "CHINESE OWNER" or "ARMED GUARD ON BOARD". This move aims to reduce the chance of being targeted by Houthi attacks.

China has been contacting Houthis about safe passage for its vessels. A July 28 Reuters report citing Chinese and regional sources notes four China-bound tankers crossed Bab el-Mandeb after the blockade announcement. Beijing sought assurances for its shipping lines as tensions rose in the east.

The economic stakes are rising because events happen hundreds of miles away. Saudi Arabia increasingly relies on Red Sea export infrastructure since Strait of Hormuz flows have been disrupted by the U.S.-Iran conflict. That makes the Red Sea both an alternative to Hormuz and a potential second pressure point for global trade.

Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman warned at the United Nations Thursday that Yemen's internal collapse threatens interests far beyond its borders. "This is no longer a Yemeni crisis alone," she said. She added that the state's continued collapse threatens international navigation and trade, energy security, and global supply chains while undermining regional peace.

Karman was invited by Denmark to brief council members. However, Denmark's deputy U.N. ambassador said strong opposition prevented the briefing from taking place inside the chamber. Instead, Karman addressed reporters outside the room. In a separate interview with Fox News Digital, she argued that restoring a functioning Yemeni state is essential to defeating armed groups and securing the country.

"Yemeni people can do that," Karman said regarding defeating the Houthis and other militias. "We can be partners on saving the global and regional security." Without restoring Yemen, there is no sustainable peace, she added.

U.S. experts caution against treating Bab el-Mandeb as simply a second Hormuz. Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that Iran does not have direct influence on flows through the Bab al-Mandeb like it holds over the Strait of Hormuz. The strategy would depend much more on proxies. Iraqi groups might focus fire on infrastructure while Houthis target the Red Sea.

Goldberg noted limits to this approach. "The Houthis act much more independently than they used to," he said. They have not yet shown interest in going to war against the world, just against Riyadh. He also pointed to a critical difference between the two waterways. Ships that cannot safely cross Bab el-Mandeb can bypass the Red Sea entirely by sailing around Africa. Unlike Hormuz, shippers can go around the Red Sea if they really need to.

The Strait of Hormuz is often called a single point of failure, yet adding cost and time does not create that kind of vulnerability. The real challenge now lies with the United States, Saudi Arabia, and their allies as they try to stop the Houthi threat from growing worse. Riyadh is building two overlapping layers of regional security cooperation right now.

On August 7, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement. This mutual-defense pact calls for high-level political and military coordination, joint exercises, and deeper defense-industry cooperation. Turkish officials have stressed that the agreement is strictly defensive and does not name Iran or any other country as an enemy.

Dr. Aziz Alghashian, a Saudi foreign-policy researcher and senior non-resident fellow at Gulf International Forum, told Fox News Digital earlier this week about immediate implications. He noted one possibility could be greater coordination against Iran-backed groups, particularly the Houthis. Alghashian said the pact might produce a greater trilateral presence near the Saudi-Yemeni border, especially in the maritime dimension. It would let Riyadh take a firmer collective approach toward Iran-backed militias while keeping a diplomatic path open to Tehran itself.

Separately, Saudi Arabia is leading an effort focused on waterways. The Saudi Defense Ministry announced plans on July 30 for a multinational maritime-defense coalition intended to protect freedom of navigation and commercial and energy routes through Bab el-Mandeb, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. Fourteen countries initially backed the initiative, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, and Djibouti.

Turkey's Defense Ministry confirmed Thursday that Ankara is participating in meetings in Jeddah aimed at establishing the coalition. A State Department spokesperson separately told Fox News Digital that protecting commercial shipping through both the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz remains a top priority for the Trump administration. Freedom of navigation stands as one of Washington's core national security interests in the Middle East.

"We will continue to work with international partners to deter Iranian and Iranian-proxy attacks on merchant vessels, ensure the free flow of commerce and hold accountable those who threaten the safety of international shipping lanes," a State Department spokesperson said. The administration is also seeking to disrupt the flow of Iranian money and weapons to the Houthis. The United States has sanctioned more than 200 entities associated with the group.

"We condemn Iran's flagrant violation of Yemen's sovereignty and international law in threatening freedom of navigation and supporting their Houthi proxies," the spokesperson said. Washington supports Saudi Arabia and Yemen's internationally recognized government as threats around Bab el-Mandeb grow. The United States stands firmly with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognized government of Yemen against Houthi terrorism. Officials say they are in close consultation with partners and remain committed to their security.