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Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels have threatened to attack US interests across the Middle East if Washington intervenes militarily in support of Saudi Arabia or attempts to lift the group’s blockade of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Houthi military adviser Abed Mohammed al-Thawr issued the warning in an interview with AFP on Tuesday.
“If America dares to intervene militarily by sending warships or tries to take control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, that would cross a red line,” he said, adding that the Houthis would fight back.
The Houthis seized control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab area earlier this month, tightening their grip on the strategic waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Saudi Arabia has sought international and US support as it faces growing attacks from the Houthis. US officials have said Washington has increased intelligence-sharing and planning assistance to Saudi forces, while President Donald Trump has so far not committed to direct military intervention.
“If America chooses to side with Saudi Arabia through airstrikes or aerial support, we will consider any US interests around us legitimate targets,” al-Thawr said. He also threatened to completely close the Bab al-Mandab Strait to US ships.
The Houthi advance has already raised concerns over global shipping and energy supplies, particularly as Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on the Red Sea route after Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Al-Thawr denied that the Houthis receive orders from Iran, saying Tehran was a friend and ally but did not direct the group’s decisions.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has warned that the number of people displaced by the renewed fighting in Yemen could rise from more than 130,000 to over 230,000 in the coming months.
