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A source quoted by Tasnim revealed that Yemeni Ansarullah fighters are ready to assume a pivotal role in controlling the Bab al-Mandab Strait if it becomes necessary to exert further pressure on adversaries.
This strait serves as a critical passage in international trade, representing the narrowest part of the route between Europe and Asia.
Any disruption could force ships to navigate around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope instead of utilizing the Suez Canal, thereby extending travel time by approximately two weeks.
Traveling via the Suez Canal through the Bab al-Mandab Strait reduces a journey by about 8,000 kilometers.
In 2023, the Houthis initiated attacks on vessels passing through the strait, significantly impacting global trade logistics.
“Most companies made the decision that it was more appropriate to go around the Cape of Good Hope.”
On one side of the strait is a large swathe of territory in Yemen controlled by the Houthis.
During Yemen’s long civil war, Iran’s government has supplied the Houthis with missiles and drones.
The Houthis have learned from Iran’s example and begun to keep their weapons underground to avoid missile and air strikes.
“It’s harder to have a material impact on air campaigns against them,” Parker said.
“You’ll never disable them unless you send in ground forces, which nobody’s about to do.”
But Parker suspected Iran was seeking to draw the Houthis into the war to expand the battlefield.
“The fact that Iran has said this doesn’t mean the Houthis will actually do it,” she said.
“What (the Houthis are) actually trying to achieve is to take over Yemen versus supporting Iran.”
Parker said the Houthis relied less on Iran than Hezbollah or Hamas, both of which receive much of their support from the regime.
“The Houthis will weigh that up based on how influential they think the Iranian regime are going to be moving forward,” she said.
“Even though you’re not going to have regime change, there’s a lot of evidence to say that the Iranian regime is significantly weakened.”
Parker served as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy for 20 years and was deployed to the Middle East three times.
At its narrowest point, the strait is 26 kilometres wide.
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