Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia has denied closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, clarifying instead that it has established a naval blockade directed exclusively against Saudi Arabian ships in the Red Sea. The statement was issued by Houthi spokesperson Mohammad Abdul Salam in a post on X, where he asserted that reports of a total closure of the strategic strait were false.
The denial comes as the United States and Iran also vie for control of the nearby Strait of Hormuz. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait serves as a vital shipping lane for international trade and regional security.
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