Yemen’s Houthis threaten to close Bab al-Mandeb Strait

The deputy foreign minister of the Houthi administration in Sanaa has warned that the group could move to shut the Bab al-Mandeb Strait off Yemen’s coast if US President Donald Trump continues what he described as obstruction of peace efforts.

In a statement shared on X, Hussein al-Ezzi said that if Sanaa decides to close the strategic waterway, “all of humanity and jinn would be completely unable to reopen it,” using strong and symbolic language to emphasize the severity of the warning.

He further called on Trump, along with what he described as the “complicit international community,” to immediately end policies and actions that hinder peace initiatives. He stressed the need to respect the rights and demands of the Yemeni people and their nation.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is considered one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, directing global shipping traffic toward the Suez Canal.

At its narrowest point, the strait is approximately 29 kilometres wide, forcing vessels to pass through two main shipping lanes for inbound and outbound movement.