UN Security Council meets as Houthis tighten grip on Red Sea chokepoint
The meeting comes after the Iran-backed group seized strategic islands on the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
The UN Security Council is set to convene on Tuesday to examine the evolving Middle Eastern landscape, as the Houthis' swift territorial gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast cast new shadows over international maritime traffic. While the official UN agenda omits Yemen and the Red Sea, the meeting underscores mounting anxieties about the situation.
Last week, the Iran-backed Houthis tightened their control over the Bab el-Mandeb strait, seizing the vital port of Mokha and Mayyun Island, also referred to as Perim. Eyewitness accounts from Yemeni and Houthi officials corroborate that the group has expanded its influence to encompass the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, though these assertions have yet to be substantiated by independent verification.
Spanning approximately 30 kilometers, the strait facilitates about 8.7% of global seaborne commerce, linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the expansive Indian Ocean. This recent territorial expansion coincides with a surge in Houthi assaults on Saudi Arabia. On Monday, the group claimed responsibility for launching dozens of missiles and drones towards an air base in Khamis Mushait.
Saudi authorities subsequently issued alerts in four southern locales, while the Saudi-led coalition reported that 13 civilians sustained injuries. In response, Houthi spokespersons asserted that Riyadh retaliated with numerous strikes. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly sought U.S. intervention through two telephone conversations with President Donald Trump last week, but Washington has thus far refrained from engaging in direct military action.
Trump, in remarks on Saturday, stated that the Houthis "don’t want to fight with us" and "would much prefer not having us involved," further noting that the group is allowing most ships to traverse the strait unimpeded. Numerous Houthi leaders and factions have maintained that shipping through Bab el-Mandeb remains unhindered, with the sole restriction being their ban on Saudi vessels.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
