The United States has pledged to take action if Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis follow through on threats to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia. President Donald Trump made the statement in the Oval Office on Tuesday, warning that the U.S. will "take care of things" if the Houthis carry out their threats.
The comments come after Saudi forces struck Sanaa International Airport on Monday, reportedly targeting an Iranian Mahan Air flight carrying Houthi officials back from Iran. A U.S. official has stated that the aircraft was believed to be carrying weapons, missile components, and Iranian military personnel intended for the Houthis.
The Houthis have been threatening to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea, a key maritime trade corridor that carries one-third of global seaborne oil trade. The group has already shown its ability to disrupt one of the world's busiest shipping corridors, carrying out more than 190 attacks on commercial shipping since late 2023.
The latest escalation in the conflict has raised concerns about the potential for disruption to global energy exports and increased shipping costs. The U.S. Energy Information Administration has reported that nearly 15% of global seaborne trade passes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait each year.
Bridget Toomey, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, believes that the Houthis' ability to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea poses a significant threat to international security interests. "A direct air connection between Tehran and Sanaa would be a serious threat, not just to the international community, but also to Saudi Arabia," she said.
The U.S. has been expanding its military operations against Iran, and Toomey believes that the administration's backing of the Saudi operation is a measured escalation aimed at demonstrating its commitment to preventing the Houthis from establishing a direct air link between Tehran and Sanaa.
The latest threat comes as commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has also faced disruption amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. The situation has raised concerns about the potential for simultaneous disruption at both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb, which would place additional pressure on global energy exports and increase shipping costs.
