On Friday, the Houthi militia threatened to completely close the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is one of the most important water crossings in the world, and constitutes a sea corridor for international trade, through which most trade activities between Asia and Europe pass, and about 10% of global shipping traffic.

These threats came in a blog post by the Houthi leader Hussein Al-Ezzi, appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the government that is not internationally recognized, on the X platform, and he said, “We can close Bab al-Mandab completely, and in you you put twenty lines under the word (completely).”

He added, "And since we did not do that, this means that we are still concerned about international navigation," accusing America and Britain of lying.

These threats come against the backdrop of American statements that accused the Houthi militias of targeting humanitarian aid ships, in reference to their attack, last Monday, February 19, on the Greek-flagged ship “Sea Champion” that was coming from Argentina towards the port of Aden with 40,000 on board. Tons of grain to unload.