Iran seeks end to Saudi blockade of Yemen after Tehran-backed rebels take key port

Iran has urged an end to Saudi Arabia's blockade of Yemen and a resumption of talks, marking its first official statement following Houthi rebels' control over a key Yemeni port. The foreign ministry of Iran stated that Yemen's sovereignty must be respected and problems cannot be solved through blockades or military alliances. Iran is prepared to assist negotiations.

The Houthi takeover of the Red Sea port of Mokha, located 50 miles from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, poses a significant threat to the global shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. This is the rebels' most substantial territorial gain in years. The Bab el-Mandeb is crucial to Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally, whose blockade has fueled the rebels' attacks on Saudi shipping to ensure oil exports.

Roughly 12% of the world's goods transit through the strait. The disruption could adversely affect all shipping and crude oil prices, which have recently surged. The Houthis have been attacking Saudi oil infrastructure and Red Sea vessels recently. Saudi Arabia, which previously offered "negotiation opportunities," also asserts the right to self-defense in response to Houthi actions under the blockade it imposed in July.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government expressed strong condemnation on Friday for the Houthis' renewed attacks, warning of a military response to threats. The escalating conflict threatens to end a fragile truce in Yemen's civil war since 2022, affecting Yemen's 40 million people who dread a resurgence of the conflict that claimed 150,000 lives and left many others near famine.