00:00A major maritime choke point is now at the center of a rapidly escalating threat.
00:06Houthi forces are claiming effective control of Yemen's side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
00:11after a rapid advance along the Red Sea coast and the seizure of strategic positions including
00:17Parham Island.
00:19And now, footage circulating from the newly captured area is going viral.
00:24In the video, a Houthi fighter at Hisen Murad declares that the group does not need missiles
00:29or drones.
00:30He says artillery, positioned along the Murad coast and on Parham Island, could be enough
00:36to stop vessels that refuse Houthi demands.
00:39The message is blunt.
00:41Shipping through Bab el-Mandeb could be cut.
00:44The fighter, seen in the footage, says artillery batteries positioned on the mainland coastline
00:49around Murad and Nubab and Parham Island itself can target vessels moving through the strait.
00:55He also says Houthi forces intend to dig in on Parham after seizing the strategically
01:01located island.
01:02The claims have not independently established that the group can completely shut down international
01:07shipping.
01:08But the geography presents a serious concern.
01:12Parham, also known as Mayun, sits at the narrowest point of the Bab el-Mandeb and divides
01:18the waterway into two channels.
01:20The main international shipping lane runs through the wider western channel between Parham and
01:26the African coast.
01:27That passage is roughly 22 to 26 kilometers wide.
01:31With Houthi forces now reportedly holding both the mainland coastline around Murad and Nubab,
01:37and Parham Island itself, both channels could potentially fall within range of ground-based weapons.
01:43That is what makes the latest territorial gains so strategically significant.
01:50Bab el-Mandeb is not just another stretch of water.
01:53It is the southern gateway between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
01:57The route connects the Indian Ocean with the Red Sea and provides a critical link between
02:03Asia, the Middle East, and Europe through the Suez Canal.
02:06Any sustained disruption can have consequences far beyond Yemen.
02:12Oil shipments, container traffic, and other commercial vessels could face higher insurance
02:17costs, longer journeys, and the possibility of rerouting around Africa.
02:22The Houthis have already declared Saudi vessels to be targets, while saying other shipping remains
02:28safe.
02:29Saudi Arabia faces particular pressure from the latest developments.
02:32The Kingdom has increasingly relied on Red Sea routes, as other regional disruptions have
02:38complicated oil and tanker traffic.
02:41But Houthi forces now hold positions close to one of those critical maritime gateways.
02:46The capture of Parham and coastal areas around Mocha, Thubab, and Murad potentially gives
02:53the group greater leverage over vessels approaching the strait.
02:56But can artillery alone actually shut down the Bab el-Mandeb?
03:01That remains uncertain.
03:04Large commercial ships are fast-moving targets, and the effectiveness of coastal artillery would
03:09depend on range, accuracy, weather, and defensive capabilities of the vessels.
03:15International shipping has faced Houthi attacks before.
03:18When threats intensified, some operators chose to avoid the Red Sea entirely and reroute around
03:24the Cape of Good Hope.
03:25That option keeps trade moving, but adds thousands of kilometers to some voyages, increasing fuel
03:32costs, transit times, and pressure on global supply chains.
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