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Israel Boosts Naval Readiness as Houthis Tighten Grip on Bab el-Mandeb
(MENAFN) Israel has ramped up the readiness of its naval forces amid mounting concern over Houthi advances near the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an Israeli newspaper reported Sunday.
According to the newspaper, Israel's security establishment is closely tracking developments after Yemen's Houthi group expanded its footprint along the Red Sea coast and consolidated control around the key waterway.
Israeli assessments cited by the newspaper say the withdrawal of Yemeni government forces from Perim, also known as Mayyun Island, at the mouth of the strait has substantially boosted the Houthis' ability to influence maritime traffic. The shift has heightened Israeli fears over threats to commercial shipping through Bab el-Mandeb, a passage that narrows to roughly 18 kilometers (11 miles) at its tightest point — with Israeli assessments warning the Houthis could deploy missiles or explosive-laden boats against transiting vessels.
The newspaper also detailed friction within Israel's security establishment, where officials reportedly criticized what they called an "erosion of deterrence" and the broader failure of regional players to halt the Houthi advance.
In response, Israeli Navy commander Vice Adm. Eyal Harel ordered heightened readiness across naval forces and command-and-control centers, with additional forces deployed at sea, the report said.
Compounding the worry, Israeli officials fear that a strengthened Houthi position around Bab el-Mandeb, paired with Iranian influence near the Strait of Hormuz, could expand Tehran's leverage over critical regional shipping routes — a concern made more acute by the fact that roughly 98% of Israel's imports arrive by sea, per the newspaper.
Yemen had experienced a relative lull since April 2022, following nearly 12 years of war between government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who seized the capital Sanaa and large swaths of the country in 2014. Since late 2023, following the outbreak of Israel's war in Gaza, the Houthis have grown increasingly entangled in regional hostilities — striking Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea — while recently renewed fighting has stoked fears of a return to full-scale conflict in Yemen.
According to the newspaper, Israel's security establishment is closely tracking developments after Yemen's Houthi group expanded its footprint along the Red Sea coast and consolidated control around the key waterway.
Israeli assessments cited by the newspaper say the withdrawal of Yemeni government forces from Perim, also known as Mayyun Island, at the mouth of the strait has substantially boosted the Houthis' ability to influence maritime traffic. The shift has heightened Israeli fears over threats to commercial shipping through Bab el-Mandeb, a passage that narrows to roughly 18 kilometers (11 miles) at its tightest point — with Israeli assessments warning the Houthis could deploy missiles or explosive-laden boats against transiting vessels.
The newspaper also detailed friction within Israel's security establishment, where officials reportedly criticized what they called an "erosion of deterrence" and the broader failure of regional players to halt the Houthi advance.
In response, Israeli Navy commander Vice Adm. Eyal Harel ordered heightened readiness across naval forces and command-and-control centers, with additional forces deployed at sea, the report said.
Compounding the worry, Israeli officials fear that a strengthened Houthi position around Bab el-Mandeb, paired with Iranian influence near the Strait of Hormuz, could expand Tehran's leverage over critical regional shipping routes — a concern made more acute by the fact that roughly 98% of Israel's imports arrive by sea, per the newspaper.
Yemen had experienced a relative lull since April 2022, following nearly 12 years of war between government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who seized the capital Sanaa and large swaths of the country in 2014. Since late 2023, following the outbreak of Israel's war in Gaza, the Houthis have grown increasingly entangled in regional hostilities — striking Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea — while recently renewed fighting has stoked fears of a return to full-scale conflict in Yemen.
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