The US warned that Iran-backed Houthi militants could start firing on vessels in the Bab El-Mandeb Strait after Tehran raised the possibility of extending barriers to global shipping during the ongoing war.
The US Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration issued an advisory notice on Thursday about the Yemen-based Houthis, which significantly disrupted shipping with a series of attacks on the Red Sea in response to Israel’s war in Gaza.
“Although the Houthi terrorist group has not attacked commercial ships since the Israel-Gaza ceasefire agreement in October 2025, the Houthis continue to pose a threat to US assets, including commercial vessels, ...