Houthis deny Yemen military claim they laid mines in Bab al-Mandeb

An anonymous Yemeni military source has accused the Houthis of laying mines in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a week after the group captured the Red Sea coast from government forces, German news agency DPA reported on Tuesday.

The Iran-aligned group effectively took control of the strait last week after routing Saudi-backed forces, threatening renewed disruption through the vital maritime corridor.

The Houthis have also reportedly begun fortifying their positions in the mountains overlooking the strait in anticipation of a counter-offensive by pro-government forces.

Hussain Al-Bukhaiti, a pro-Houthi Sanaa-based journalist, told The New Arab that the report was “false news”.

“Why do we need to put mines in the Red Sea or in Bab al-Mandeb if we have anti-ship ballistic missiles? We can launch attacks against any ship we choose,” he said.

Since taking control of the area, the Houthis have said they would uphold freedom of navigation through the strait but continue to impose a blockade on Saudi ships.

Arab and European countries have expressed alarm over the advance, which consolidates Houthi control over the strait and comes as the waterway has become increasingly important for Saudi oil shipments since the US-Israeli war on Iran shuttered the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil markets have been on edge over the past week as the Houthis' gains and a drone strike on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline have triggered fresh concerns about global supply.

The attack, which Saudi authorities said was launched from Iraq, has taken the pipeline offline, forcing the kingdom to rely exclusively on shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, assisted by the US military. Oil prices surged to their highest levels since May following the news.

The Houthis and the Yemeni government have engaged in fierce fighting since the collapse of the ceasefire in July.

The group has declared a blockade on Saudi ports and targeted Saudi ships in the Red Sea.

US-Houthi talks

US officials held talks with Houthi representatives in Oman over the weekend, a few days after their advance on the Red Sea coast, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The meeting was reportedly arranged by Oman and held at the US embassy in Muscat.

The Trump administration designated the Houthis as a terrorist organisation in March 2025 but later entered negotiations with them to end the two-month conflict.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has appealed to the US and UK to provide military support in its fight against the Houthis. The Trump administration reportedly told Riyadh it would not get directly involved.

Bin Salman travelled to Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the situation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

A statement by Egypt's presidency said the two leaders called for freedom of navigation through the Red Sea to be maintained.

Drone over Mecca

The Saudi-led coalition on Wednesday accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca, triggering condemnations across the Muslim world.

A coalition spokesperson said its forces had allegedly intercepted a drone over the holy city.

Houthi armed forces spokesperson Yahya Saree denied the claims, calling them “fabrications and lies”.

“Our operations target its oil facilities and military bases, which are far removed from the sacred sites,” he said.

The Saudi coalition vowed retaliation, saying that “the security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line”.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a bloc of 57 Muslim countries, denounced the “heinous attacks... against the city of Mecca and the Madinah region”.

The Houthis also said on Wednesday that they had shot down a Saudi warplane.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah's help and grace, succeeded in shooting down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet while it was carrying out hostile operations in support of its military buildup in the skies of Marib province,” Saree said in a statement.

Saudi warplanes have launched more than 450 airstrikes in Yemen this week, he said.