Yemen: Conflict, Red Sea Security, And U.S. Policy

Eurasia Review  |  Christopher M. Blanchard

Yemen-based Houthi militants renewed threats against Israeli and Saudi Arabian shipping in mid-2026, raising the risk of severe disruptions along the strategic Bab al Mandab Strait. This escalation follows a temporary bilateral truce brokered by Oman in May 2025 after intensive United States military strikes against Houthi targets.

The ongoing civil war, which began in 2015, has entrenched Houthi control over northwestern Yemen and the capital city of Sana'a. Recent regional friction has fractured the anti-Houthi coalition, leading to the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council after Saudi military intervention in late 2025. Consequently, the United States has designated the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and authorized the transfer of seized weapons to counter their persistent maritime threat. Meanwhile, a severe funding shortfall has forced the World Food Programme to terminate operations in Houthi-controlled northern Yemen, leaving over 18 million people acutely food insecure.

Comment

The resumption of Houthi strikes on shipping in the Bab al Mandab Strait exposes the limits of localised deterrence agreements like the 2025 Oman-brokered truce. By leveraging newly established air links to Sana'a airport, the group has successfully bypassed regional maritime blockades to replenish its precision-guided munitions stockpile. This operational resilience forces commercial shipping to permanently reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, structurally inflating global maritime transit costs.

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