Houthis Threaten Attacks on US Interests Over Any Intervention in Yemen or Bab Al-Mandab Strait
A Houthi military adviser warned that the group will target US interests across the Middle East if Washington intervenes in Yemen's conflict to back Saudi Arabia or unblock the Bab al-Mandab strait. Calling foreign intervention a 'red line,' Abed Mohammed al-Thawr told AFP that any US fleet deployment or air support for Riyadh would trigger retaliation.
A Houthi military adviser told AFP that the group would attack US interests in the Middle East if Washington intervenes in Yemen's conflict in support of Saudi Arabia or tries to unblock the Bab al-Mandab strait. The warning marks a sharp escalation in regional rhetoric as maritime corridors leading to the Red Sea face heightened military friction, with the Yemeni group declaring international naval action around the vital chokepoint an unacceptable provocation.
Speaking to AFP in Sanaa on Tuesday, September 22, military adviser Abed Mohammed al-Thawr stated that any foreign intervention aimed at altering control over the strategic shipping passage would be met with an immediate armed response. The Bab al-Mandab strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a vital artery for international trade and crude shipments, making any confrontation there a major threat to global energy transit. Why Donald Trump Aborted Ready-To-Launch Strikes on Houthis Despite Direct Appeal From Saudi Crown Prince MBS.
Blockade of Bab al-Mandab Declared a 'Red Line'
Detailing the group’s operational stance, al-Thawr warned Washington against deploying naval fleets to secure the maritime corridor or push back the blockade enforced by the movement.
"If America dares to intervene militarily with its fleets or tries to take control of Bab al-Mandab, it is a red line for them and anyone else... we will fight over it," Abed Mohammed al-Thawr told AFP in Sanaa on Tuesday. Saudi Airstrikes Hit Yemen’s Mokha, Killing 6 Including 2 Children and Woman.
The assertion of a "red line" comes as commercial shippers face mounting security risks navigating past the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, where recent coastal offensives have expanded the group's reach over key maritime transit routes.
Warnings Over Military Support for Saudi Arabia
The military adviser expanded the scope of retaliatory measures to encompass American support for Riyadh, warning that logistical or direct aerial backing for Saudi-led operations would expand the conflict across the region.
"If America gambles on supporting Saudi Arabia with airstrikes or air support... We will consider any American interests around us to be targets," he added.
The warning follows reports of renewed clashes along Yemen's Red Sea coast and increased cross-border drone and missile alerts targeting Saudi infrastructure. With Saudi Arabia seeking to maintain alternative crude export routes while flows through the Strait of Hormuz remain vulnerable, any expansion of hostilities around the Bab al-Mandab corridor threatens to disrupt alternative Red Sea shipping channels.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 23, 2026 05:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
