Yemen’s Ansarullah Reportedly Preparing to Close Bab al-Mandeb Strait
Sana’a – A British media report has claimed that Yemen’s Ansarullah movement is preparing to close the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, citing unnamed sources in Yemen. The sources, however, were not identified, and no further details were provided regarding their credibility.
The report claimed that global trade could face another major disruption as Yemeni forces are allegedly preparing to restrict access to one of the world’s most important maritime routes.
It described Ansarullah as one of the most capable regional forces aligned with Tehran and alleged that the Yemeni group is quietly expanding its influence toward the Horn of Africa. The report further claimed that Ansarullah and Somalia’s al-Shabaab militant group could cooperate to gain control over both sides of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
According to the report, such coordination would aim to increase pressure on the global economy and create political leverage against Western countries. These claims were attributed to an unidentified source and were not accompanied by independently verified evidence.
The report also alleged that drone technology has been transferred to al-Shabaab and claimed that Iran is seeking to expand its influence across the Red Sea in a manner similar to its position in the Strait of Hormuz.
Highlighting the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandeb, the report stated that a significant portion of global maritime trade passes through the waterway. It warned that any closure of the strait could severely disrupt international trade, forcing shipping companies to take longer routes around southern Africa and increasing global transportation costs.
The report also referred to previous attacks by Ansarullah on commercial vessels in the Red Sea during the Gaza war, claiming that the group has demonstrated the ability to disrupt maritime traffic in the region.
In another section, the report discussed the relationship between Iran and Ansarullah, attempting to portray their interests as closely aligned. However, many of the claims were based on anonymous sources and remain unverified.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, playing a critical role in global trade and energy transportation.