Houthis threaten US interests over Saudi support and Bab al-Mandab

The warning was delivered by Houthi military adviser Abed Mohammed al-Thawr in an interview with Agence France-Presse on Wednesday.

“If America dares to intervene militarily with its fleets or tries to take control of Bab al-Mandab, it is a red line,” al-Thawr told AFP, adding that the Houthis would fight over the strategic waterway. 

He also said the group would consider American interests in the region targets if the United States supported Saudi Arabia with airstrikes or other military assistance, and threatened to close the strait to American ships. 

The comments come as fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces has intensified. Reuters reported earlier this month that Houthi forces reached Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandab and seized nearby positions along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, strengthening their position around the shipping route. 

Saudi Arabia has sought US military assistance as Houthi attacks have expanded. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia had been drawn deeper into the conflict, while the United States had so far held back from renewed military action against the Houthis. 

The latest threat also marks a contrast with a reported US-Houthi meeting in Oman earlier this month. According to Reuters, Houthi representatives told US officials at the meeting that they had no intention of attacking American vessels and remained committed to a 2025 ceasefire with Washington. 

Al-Thawr denied that Iran directs Houthi decisions, but described the two sides as “one alliance and one body”. He said Iran was a friendly and allied country while insisting that the Houthis retained independent decision-making. 

The United States designated Ansarallah, the formal name used by the Houthi movement, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in March 2025. The US Treasury has also described the group as Iran-backed and imposed sanctions on networks accused of supporting its financing, weapons procurement and attacks. 

The renewed confrontation is also adding to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. The UNHCR said on 22 September that internal displacement caused by the latest fighting could rise from more than 130,000 people to over 230,000 in the coming months, while more than 3,000 people had already crossed the Red Sea to Djibouti earlier this month. 

On Tuesday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan affirmed Saudi Arabia’s right to defend itself under international law and called for safe navigation through the region’s waterways.