A Saudi official claimed allied forces captured the Bab el Mandeb Strait from Houthi control, a statement the Iran-backed group has denied.
Key facts
- •Saudi Ambassador Mohammad Al-Jaber claimed the Bab el Mandeb Strait is no longer under Houthi control.
- •Houthi spokesperson Ameen Hayyan denied the loss of the strait and claimed to have destroyed over 22 armored vehicles during recent clashes.
- •Saudi and Yemeni officials urged the UN Security Council to take action against the Houthis for attacks on civilians and shipping.
- •Yemen's UN envoy reported that more than 100 children were killed in September and over 200,000 people have been displaced.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen, Mohammad Al-Jaber, stated Friday that the Bab el Mandeb Strait has been cleared of Houthi forces. The Iran-backed Houthi group immediately rejected the claim, asserting that they successfully repelled Saudi-led advances in the region.
By the numbers
Conflicting Reports on Territorial Control
Ambassador Al-Jaber announced the capture of the strait via social media on Friday, describing the area as cleansed of Houthi militia. In response, Houthi spokesperson Ameen Hayyan denied the loss of territory and claimed the group had repelled Saudi-led forces attempting to advance from Lahij. Hayyan further stated that Houthi forces destroyed more than 22 armored vehicles and inflicted numerous casualties on the advancing troops.
Diplomatic Appeals to the UN
Separately, Saudi and Yemeni government officials addressed the UN Security Council on Friday to condemn Houthi activities. Saudi envoy Abdulaziz al-Wasil cited threats to Red Sea shipping and attacks on Saudi airports as evidence of the group's destabilizing influence. Yemen's UN representative, Abdullah Ali Fadhel al-Saadi, requested that the council implement measures to restrict the group's access to weapons and funding, citing the displacement of over 200,000 people and the deaths of more than 100 children in September.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Al-Monitor, Middle East Eye.
