- UN raises alarm over Bab al-Mandab as Yemen fighting threatens Red Sea security; Security Council discussion underscores growing strategic significance of the region’s two maritime gateways
- Saudi Arabia tells Security Council protecting maritime corridors and ensuring freedom of navigation are an international responsibility
- Saudi Permanent Representative to UN Abdulaziz Al-Wasil condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia; highlights Kingdom’s launch of multinational maritime defence coalition
Growing fighting in Yemen is raising fresh concerns over the security of the Bab al-Mandab Strait and Red Sea shipping, adding a second major maritime pressure point to the continuing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
The warning came during an emergency UN Security Council session as the Houthis continued their advance along Yemen’s western coast towards the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait. UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari said the situation in and around the strait had become increasingly volatile, with the escalation coming as maritime traffic through Hormuz remains disrupted.
The two waterways are critical links in global maritime trade. Hormuz connects the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a major route for energy shipments, while Bab al-Mandab links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides a key passage between the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal route to Europe. Reuters has described Bab al-Mandab as an 18-mile-wide global shipping chokepoint through which major volumes of oil and commodities move.
The UN said commercial shipping through the Red Sea had not yet been affected, according to maritime tracking information cited by Khiari. However, he warned that the Houthi advance and reported capture of several islands in the southern Red Sea had increased concerns over the future security of the waterway.
That concern has grown as the Houthis have expanded their presence along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. Reuters reported that the group reached the strategic island of Perim in Bab al-Mandab earlier this month after taking control of the port city of Mocha and advancing south along the coast.
Saudi Arabia told the Security Council that protecting maritime corridors and ensuring freedom of navigation were an international responsibility requiring compliance with international law and relevant Security Council resolutions.
Saudi Permanent Representative to the UN Abdulaziz Al-Wasil condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the targeting of commercial vessels and maritime routes. He said the Kingdom had the right to protect its national security and called for greater international responsibility to safeguard vital maritime routes and global supply chains.
The Saudi representative also highlighted the Kingdom’s launch of a multinational maritime defence coalition aimed at strengthening maritime security and protecting freedom of navigation amid growing threats to regional waterways.
The developments around Bab al-Mandab have added to an already serious disruption in the Gulf. Reuters reported that only three commercial vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, down from 12 the previous day and well below the 10-day average of 17. Traffic through Bab al-Mandab also fell, with 21 vessel crossings recorded compared with 24 the previous day.
The simultaneous pressure on the two chokepoints has raised wider concerns over energy supplies, shipping costs and global supply chains. The situation is particularly significant because disruption at Hormuz affects Gulf energy flows, while prolonged insecurity around Bab al-Mandab can disrupt the Red Sea-Suez route linking Asian and European markets.
Khiari said the escalation in Yemen was not confined to the maritime domain. Fighting had intensified along the western coast, while the internationally recognized Yemeni government had launched a counteroffensive following the Houthi advances, with clashes reported in several parts of the country.
The humanitarian consequences have also worsened. The UN official said approximately 125,000 people had been displaced across Yemen since the beginning of September. The UN human rights office also documented eight deaths and 32 injuries during the same period, with half of those killed reported to be women and children.
The escalation has also spilled across Yemen’s borders. Khiari said Houthi missile and drone attacks had targeted Saudi cities including Abha, Khamis Mushait and Taif, while drones also struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions. The pipeline was subsequently closed for repairs.
Saudi Arabia has warned that the attacks threaten not only its security but also international navigation and global trade. Pakistan’s representative to the Security Council similarly said continued Houthi attacks posed a serious threat to regional stability and the safety of international maritime routes.
Riyadh has reiterated its support for de-escalation and a comprehensive, sustainable political settlement to the Yemen conflict, while stressing its support for Yemen’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Security Council discussion underscored the growing strategic significance of the region’s two maritime gateways. With Hormuz already facing major disruption and Bab al-Mandab coming under increasing military pressure, the security of both waterways has become closely linked to the stability of global shipping, energy markets and international supply chains.
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