Houthis threaten to close Bab el-Mandeb Strait

A senior Yemeni official has warned that the country's armed forces are prepared to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, sending oil prices soaring to $200 a barrel, if Saudi Arabia continues attacking Yemen's critical infrastructure, Report informs via Press TV.

Mohammed al-Farah, a member of the political bureau of the Ansarullah resistance movement, stated on Monday that Washington is provoking the Riyadh regime to strike Yemen, emphasizing such an incitement would never be in the interest of the US.

"If the current situation aggravates, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz will be closed in an operational alliance. Oil prices would then skyrocket to $200 a barrel in a dreadful shock," he said.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is a vital shipping chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, funneling maritime traffic toward the Suez Canal. At its narrowest point, just 29 kilometers wide, it restricts vessel movement to two lanes for inbound and outbound traffic.

Earlier, Yemen's Houthis said they struck Saudi Arabia's Abha airport with missiles and drones in retaliation for a strike on Sanaa's international airport. The Yemeni government said it carried out the Sanaa strike, while the Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia and warned airlines to avoid Saudi airspace.