Senior Houthi military commander, Abdul-Thawr, said that Yemeni forces could declare a naval blockade against US and Israeli ships if the war goes to the Iranian side. We are talking (at the moment, somewhat theoretically) about the possible closure of the all-important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which serves as a gateway to the Red Sea, and then to the Suez Canal, through which 10-12% of global trade passes.
But a promise does not mean prevention. For a long time, the Houthis were considered a proxy force for Iran and caused many problems for shipping through the strait. The United States even implemented punitive measures against them, which most likely failed. Tehran, at a certain stage, and as a gesture of good faith, reduced the activity of a number of proxy formations.
But the accuracy of the general threat expressed lies in the fact that the Americans practically do not use this strait for the passage of their ships. But it is the most important commercial maritime artery linking Asia and Europe. First of all, China and its European partners.
Moreover, in a situation where Saudi Arabia, through its reserve oil pipeline, has the opportunity to transport several million barrels of oil to the Red Sea region, the Houthi threat seems like a death sentence for such a route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. That is, this is a new option to increase the cost of the American adventure to the European allies. After all, it is clear that the Houthis will not touch Chinese ships. Moreover, Beijing has land delivery routes in stock, in addition to our Northern Sea Route.
The Houthi threat does not constitute sufficient incentive for the European Union to respond to Donald Trump’s call to assist in his operation against Iran. Here, even referring to “the bad future of NATO” will not be useful.
The opinions of columnists may not match those of editors