Keep Your Eyes On The Houthis And This Key Chokepoint

Interesting houthis, iran war, red sea, saudi arabia, strait of hormuz admin July 16, 2026 0 Comments

Keep Your Eyes On The Houthis And This Key Chokepoint

The Houthi rebels in Yemen accused Saudi Arabia on Monday of launching airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport and vowed to retaliate. Yemen’s Saudi-backed government later disputed that account and claimed responsibility for the strike.

“The Houthi terrorist militia, supported by the Iranian regime, prevented Yemeni national aircraft from landing at the capital’s airport, Sanaa, and insisted that the Iranian aircraft violate Yemeni airspace. Therefore, the airport runway was targeted,” the Yemeni government said in a statement Monday, according to Al Jazeera. (RELATED: American Fighter Jet Falls Overboard As Carrier Reportedly Evades Houthi Attack)

Houthi Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree alleged on Telegram earlier Monday that the Saudis had carried out strikes during a period of “de-escalation,” and warned, “this aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished,” according to The Associated Press.

Yemen’s defense minister, Gen. Taher al-Aqili, also issued a warning to Iran after the strike, saying the government would use “all available means” to retaliate against Iranian flights into Houthi-controlled Sanaa.

“At this moment, we say that our patience has run out. Accordingly, we will respond appropriately to this treacherous and brutal act, and we will confront and deal with the hostile aircraft violating Yemeni airspace and sovereignty by all available means,” he said.

The Houthis could escalate against Saudi Arabia by attacking commercial vessels off Yemen’s coast, potentially threatening passage through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Bab el-Manbeb Strait is a key chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, through which 10 to 12 percent of all seaborne-traded oil worldwide flows. In late March, the Houthis threatened to target the strait’s commercial maritime routes, which would have marked a turning point in the war. Like the Strait of Hormuz, its closure would significantly disrupt oil markets and the global economy. (RELATED: Houthis Threaten Another Key Shipping Lane Amid Ongoing War)

In 2025, the U.S. military carried out air and naval strikes against the Houthis, who had been repeatedly attacking commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The bombings inflicted significant damage on the rebel group, yet President Donald Trump agreed to a surprise ceasefire, which numerous analysts believed marked a strategic defeat for the U.S.