Yemen increases the defense of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
The coalition in Yemen has deployed military and naval units from land and high ground to the sea and Perim Island in the central Bab el-Mandeb Strait, particularly in Yemeni territorial waters, to deter Houthi attacks and ensure the passage of merchant cargo ships.
The Mandeb Strait is the second largest in terms of economic and strategic importance, after the Strait of Hormuz, and because it is the fourth waterway in the world, it controls the trade routes connecting the east and the west.
Bab el-Mandeb is approximately 30 km wide, with Perim Island located in the center dividing it into two channels. The first channel is called Bab Iskander and is 3 km wide and 30 meters deep. The second one is called Dact el-Mayun and is about 25 km wide and 310 m deep, through which most ships circulate.
Yemen has a strategic advantage due to its presence on Perim Island, an administrative district in the province of Aden, where professional military and security forces are deployed, always on alert and ready to face any possible threat. Threats that have been increased, especially in terms of their hostility towards commercial ships transiting the strait.
The Brigade of the 17 Giants
In one of the last reports prepared by Colonel Al-Muhawali, he confirmed the existence of an operations room for the coordination of operations and control between the main powers and joint operations, and through it they exchange reports. The Houthi militia attacks did not hit the areas designated by the joint forces of Perim Island and the Mandeb Strait, suggesting that their impact was limited.
He noted that most of the attacks by the Houthi militias took place 90 kilometers west of the port of Mocha and added that international forces are responsible for the protection of international shipping.
The importance of the coalition's presence in the highlands overlooking Bab el-Mandeb, on Yemen's western coast, lies in its ability to deter any form of smuggling, piracy or Houthi attacks.
“The U.S. military continues to work to secure international corridors and maintain continuous maritime patrols," said Col. Adel Al-Muhawali, operations commander of the 17th West Coast Brigade.
"The Houthi attacks required international warships and fleets to militarize the Red Sea, which we did not want to access,” he added. In the same context, Mustafa Al-Falahi, naval security officer of the 17 Giants Brigade, reassured international opinion by confirming that the current state of the Mandeb Strait is safe and stable under the command of coalition forces.
Regarding the coordination between the joint force and the fishermen, Al-Falahi said that all messages from the fishermen are transmitted through Al-Aqal, and after reporting the operations to the 17th Brigade, they escort the vessels to the destination port, usually to the port of Mocha.
Consequences on the international market
More than 21,000 ships and large oil tankers pass through Mandeb every year, with an average of 58 oil tankers per day, but recent attacks by the Houthi militias have significantly reduced this figure.
Due to the Houthi attacks, the number of ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has already decreased and they have been diverted to the Cape of Good Hope, around Africa. Al-Falahi according to the colonel confirmed that the Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and the port of Mocha are seriously affecting international shipping.
He explained that the Houthi attacks originate in areas controlled by the militias who use missiles and long-range aircraft to disrupt the security of international transport. He stressed that the responsibility for protecting the ships lies with many international forces, which is causing a lack of coordination.
He noted that ships used to transit the Mandeb Strait in large numbers, but many have been withdrawn after the recent Houthi attacks and called on the international community to protect shipping from the threat of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
The attacks on the Houthi rebel ships began on November 19 last year. Terrorist groups defend themselves by claiming that they attack Israeli vessels or that they sail towards Israel as part of the Gaza war. Houthi militias have carried out airstrikes and missile attacks on commercial ships from more than 35 countries in the Red Sea since the start of the Gaza war.
The attacks are disrupting a key trade route linking Europe and North America to Asia via the Suez Canal and driving up container shipping costs as companies look to ship goods via alternative, often longer, routes. On December 18, the United States announced the formation of a “Guardian of Prosperity” coalition involving several countries to stop Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, in order to change the current dynamic.