Houthi Advance Raises Fresh Alarm Over Suez Shipping Route

New Delhi, 15 September, 2026 A fresh threat to one of the world’s key maritime trade routes is emerging as fighting along Yemen’s western coast intensifies. Concern is growing at the UN Security Council over reported Houthi advances toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital gateway for ships using the Red Sea to reach the Suez Canal. Diplomats have warned that any major disruption there could further strain global trade and shipping. UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told an emergency Security Council session on Tuesday that fighting had intensified on Yemen’s western coast. He said the Houthis were advancing toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait and had reportedly taken control of several islands in the southern Red Sea. Khiari said the situation in and around the strait had become increasingly unstable in recent days. The strategic importance of the route has heightened these concerns. The Bab al-Mandab connects the Red Sea with the wider maritime route leading to the Suez Canal, through which around 30% of global container traffic and nearly 12% of worldwide trade passes. Diplomats warned that a serious deterioration in the area could create another major disruption for international shipping. The concerns come as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has already fallen considerably. Hormuz is a crucial route for transporting around 20% of the world’s petroleum and gas supplies. Greece’s permanent representative warned that with the Strait of Hormuz already facing a crisis, further instability at the entrance to the Red Sea could have serious consequences for maritime security, global trade and economic prosperity. Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative Abdulaziz M. Alwasil accused the Houthis and their fighters of trying to disrupt the strait to put pressure on the global economy. US representative Jennifer Losetta called on the Security Council to take action against Iran, alleging that Tehran provides weapons to and directs the Houthis. Bahrain’s permanent representative Jamal Fares Alrowaiei said the Houthis continue to pose a threat to maritime traffic and vital sea routes despite repeated Security Council condemnations. Yemen’s permanent representative Abdullah Ali Fadel Al-Saadi said his government was working to prevent further Houthi advances along the western coast. He warned that any further advance could threaten international maritime transport and urged the Security Council to strictly enforce the arms embargo imposed on the Houthis. With divisions continuing among the Council’s permanent members, however, reaching decisive action on the growing maritime security concerns remains difficult.