The United Nations Security Council will hold a meeting on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the situation in the Middle East and its impacts on global shipping. This meeting comes as the Houthis are rapidly advancing along the Red Sea coasts of Yemen, raising new concerns about global shipping security.
Recent Developments in Bab el-Mandeb
While the official agenda of this meeting is set not to mention Yemen and the Red Sea, it is taking place after the Houthis gained control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait by capturing the port of Al-Mokha and Mayyun Island last week. Yemeni officials and the Houthis claim that the group has also taken control of the Greater and Lesser Hanish Islands, although this claim has not yet been independently verified.
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The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is about 30 kilometers wide, accounts for approximately 8.7 percent of global maritime trade and connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. These developments coincide with an increase in Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. On Monday, the group announced that it had launched dozens of missiles and drones at an airbase in Khamis Mushait.
Saudi Response and International Contacts
Saudi officials issued warnings in four southern cities, and the Saudi-led coalition announced that 13 civilians were injured in these attacks. The Houthis also stated that Saudi Arabia has responded to these attacks with counterattacks.
Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, contacted Donald Trump, the President of the United States, twice last week to request air support against Houthi targets, but Washington has so far refrained from direct military intervention. Trump told reporters that the Houthis "do not want to fight us" and "are more inclined for us not to get involved," adding that they "allow most ships to pass through."
Several Houthi leaders and organizations have claimed that shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait remains safe and that the only restriction in the strait is the prohibition of Saudi ships. These claims, in light of recent developments and global concerns about maritime security in the region, require further scrutiny and analysis.
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