Yemen calls for international aid to secure Bab al-Mandab strait

Abdullah al-Alimi Bawazir, Vice President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, has called for increased international support to combat Ansar Allah and secure the Bab al-Mandab strait. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Bawazir emphasized that Yemen cannot protect this vital maritime passage alone.

He noted that for 12 years since the coup, Ansar Allah has escalated regional tensions, utilizing the Bab al-Mandab strait as a tool for leverage in the conflict between Iran and the international community. Following a recent offensive, the group gained control over Yemen's western coast, providing them access to the strategic waterway and threatening Red Sea shipping.

Bawazir urged the global community to move toward a ‘strategic partnership’ focused on stability and development rather than permanent crisis management. He warned that the security of the strait is a shared international responsibility, as global economies, energy supplies, and supply chains depend on its freedom of navigation.