Houthis mimic the Iranian model in the Red Sea; Yemeni government declares readiness for any escalation
As the Houthi militias seek to open a new front in the war with Iran and draw Yemen and Saudi Arabia into the conflict, Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zoubi, of the internationally recognized government, warned that the rebel group aims to replicate the Iranian model of disrupting navigation in the Strait of Hormuz by applying it to the Red Sea, through the disruption of shipping in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Speaking at the Yemeni Embassy in Riyadh yesterday, al-Zoubi stated, “This will lead to the closure of two major straits, the gateways to the Gulf and the Red Sea.” She noted that the group, allied with Iran, has drawn its courage from an international response it described as lacking sufficient seriousness regarding attacks targeting commercial navigation.
She said the Yemeni government is prepared for any escalation with the Houthis, and that firing is ongoing along the frontline stretching from the northwest Red Sea to the Saudi border, but neither side has launched an attack yet. She added, “We believe this conflict must end now, either through peaceful means or by other means.”
In response to the hostile movements and attacks carried out by the militias along the contact lines, a missile and artillery unit of the Southern Armed Forces in Yemen targeted Houthi militia positions and concentrations in several axes of the Qa’ata’a directorate, in the Dhale Governorate.
A military source from the Support and Logistics Brigades said the operation followed precise monitoring and tracking of enemy movements, resulting in direct strikes using Grad missiles that hit a missile and ammunition warehouse in the Hubayl al-Sama’i area, west of Qa’ata’a, as well as a concentration of reinforcements and military vehicles of the militias in Naqil al-Khashaba, one of the most important supply lines leading to the neighboring Ibb Governorate.
The source confirmed that these strikes are part of a military operations plan aimed at depleting the Houthis’ combat capabilities, destroying their weapons stores, cutting off supply and logistics lines, and thwarting any attempts at escalation or sending reinforcements to the battlefronts. He noted that Southern Armed Forces units continue to impose fire control over the operational theater while maintaining the highest levels of readiness and combat preparedness.
He emphasized that all units deployed across various axes are on constant alert and ready to respond immediately to any hostile movements or threats, ensuring the protection of Southern forces’ positions and maintaining the initiative across all confrontation fronts.
