The Houthi movement declared a naval siege on the Bab el-Mandeb strait last week, initiating a military confrontation with Saudi Arabia, according to an insider analysis by Achikam Himmelfarb.
The Houthi movement declared a naval siege on the Bab el-Mandeb strait last week, initiating a military confrontation with Saudi Arabia, according to an insider analysis by Achikam Himmelfarb. The analysis, published this evening, identifies the declared siege as the underlying cause of the sharp decline in maritime traffic through the strait, which The Zioneer reported earlier today.
Earlier Monday at 03:56 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that only 11 cargo vessels transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Sunday, the lowest daily count in months, citing Reuters and Kepler ship-tracking data. The decline was initially attributed to Houthi attacks on Saudi vessels and oil facilities. The new analysis now situates those attacks within a broader strategic escalation: a formal Houthi siege declaration, which has drawn Saudi Arabia into a direct military confrontation.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed movement, have repeatedly threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a strategic chokepoint for global trade and Israeli shipping. As The Zioneer reported on June 8, the Houthi movement threatened a Red Sea blockade following Israeli strikes on military infrastructure in Iran. In June, Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly stated that the Houthi leader is a target for elimination.
The Himmelfarb analysis does not provide further details on the scope of the naval siege or the nature of the Saudi-Houthi confrontation. The precise timeline of the declaration and the extent of Saudi military operations remain unclear.
4 developments
- StrongHouthis attack vessel in Bab el-Mandeb strait
- DevelopingHouthi military spokesman declared naval blockade against Saudi Arabia
- DevelopingHouthis announce readiness to strike vessels near Bab el-Mandeb, Reuters reports
- DevelopingHouthis deploy missiles, drones near Bab el-Mandeb, await orders to block strait, new report says
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