The Red Sea is no longer a distant crisis: Asean should speak up — Phar Kim Beng

On September 15, the Houthi rebels seized Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish, expanding their control of strategic islands in the Bab al-Mandab Strait - a crucial shipping lane. This seizure goes beyond a local conflict in Yemen, becoming a direct threat to global trade. The narrow, exposed Bab al-Mandab is essential for transiting massive amounts of container traffic and energy shipments bound for Europe, Asia, and beyond. The risk of territorial control by a non-state actor like the Houthi has changed everything.

Previously, Houthi operations in the Red Sea were sporadic, involving drone strikes, missile launches, and vessel seizures. However, with persistent control over islands and the port of Mokha, the Houthis now have radar coverage and staging points that enable continuous monitoring of the strait, as well as extended operational depth, reducing their dependence on the mainland for resupply and launch.

This new presence along the Bab al-Mandab provides the Houthis with psychological leverage, and the ability to threaten transit can change shipping behavior even without firing a shot.

The capture of Mokha adds another layer to the potential impact, providing the Houthi with access to logistical and intelligence capabilities, as well as political signaling. This control over both coastline and islands on both sides of the strait gives the group more options and narrows the options for other nations. Maritime economics would be affected, as shipping lines would reroute, insurance costs would rise, and delivery times would stretch.

These costs eventually reach consumers, causing higher freight rates, tighter capacity, and rising fuel and food prices. For Asia, the majority of import-dependent economies, these consequences are not theoretical, but rather a direct hit to households.

The situation in the Red Sea also increases the risk of regional escalation. With a heavily armed non-state actor in a permanent position astride the chokepoint, the chances of miscalculation and a single incident spiraling into conflict increase significantly. There is very little margin for error in such narrow waters. Moreover, this situation sets a dangerous precedent, as other actors may learn that seizing territory and chokepoints can yield political and economic leverage. This would weaken the principle that sea lanes are a common good.

While Yemen's humanitarian crisis demands attention and aid, the Bab al-Mandab is not a domestic waterway; it is international. The right of transit passage is protected under international law, yet enforcing it requires political will. Asean has consistently defended freedom of navigation and Malaysia, as a trading nation with direct stakes in the Strait of Malacca, must voice its concerns.

The world needs collective maritime security, and Asean should actively contribute to shared information and clear rules of engagement to reduce accidents and deter reckless behavior. This approach aims for predictability, not escalation, while separating shipping security from the Yemeni peace process. The UN, with the support of the IMO and major trading nations, should establish a dedicated multilateral mechanism to treat Red Sea security as a global responsibility again.