Yemen Houthi threaten to resume Red Sea shipping attacks as US-Iran tensions escalate

Yemen's Houthi military forces have issued a video warning to the United States and Israel, threatening to resume maritime operations against shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait if regional tensions worsen, security-linked Tasnim News Agency reported on January 26.

The video, released on January 25 by Yemeni media, displayed drone footage from previous attacks on vessels and warned that military operations against ships would restart if the situation deteriorates, according to the Iranian news agency.

Russian media reported earlier that the warning came amid American threats and pressure against Iran, with Yemeni forces cautioning about the potential resumption of attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.

The Houthis previously conducted dozens of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea throughout 2024 and 2025, claiming to target vessels linked to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom.

The campaign severely disrupted global maritime trade, forcing many shipping companies to reroute vessels around Africa's Cape of Good Hope at high additional cost.

The director of Israel's Eilat port acknowledged in previous statements that Yemeni forces control the Red Sea, according to Tasnim, though this claim could not be independently verified.

The Yemeni armed forces have also previously called on ships transiting the Red Sea and Arabian Sea to identify themselves.

The renewed warning comes as the United States has deployed substantial military assets to the region, including 23 aerial refuelling tankers positioned at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln currently sitting off the coast of Oman.