A day after Iran warned that it would move to block the Strait of Mandab near Yemen, the militant group the Houthis on Thursday stated that they are “ready to join the war” against the United States and Israel.
Yemeni militant group, which is also part of Iran’s Axis of Resistance, has stated that the group stands “militarily ready with all options.
“We stand fully militarily ready with all options. As for other details having to do with determining zero hour they are left to leadership and we are monitoring and following up with the developments and will know when is the suitable time to move,” a Houthi leader told news agency Reuters on the condition of anonymity.
The leader further added that Tehran has been “doing well and is defeating the enemy every day.”
“The battle is going in its direction. If anything contrary to this happens, then we can assess,” they added further.
In another message from the militant group, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of Houthi movement, also stated that the group stands ready to join.
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“As the people of Yemen, we repay loyalty with loyalty,” the Houthi leader said in a speech broadcast by Al-Masirah channel, which is affiliated with the resistance movement in Yemen.
“Our position is clear and explicit against America and Israel, and we harbour no hostile intentions toward any Muslim country,” he added further.
In 2023, after Israel’s war on Gaza broke out, the Houthis carried out several attacks in the Red Sea, particularly on ships linked to the US, Israel, UK and other Western nations that announced support for Israel amid its genocide in the Gaza Strip.
In March 2025, the US State Department moved to designate the Houthis, also known as Ansarallah, as a foreign terrorist organisation.
“As President Trump laid out in Executive Order 14175, “the Houthis’ activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade,” read the statement issued by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Iran threatens to block Mandab Strait
This statement from the militant group comes after Iranian officials stated they would consider a blockade in the Mandab Strait if attacks and provocations against Tehran continued.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency cited an unnamed military source stating that Tehran has the capability to “pose a credible threat” in the Bab al-Mandab strait.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is also known as the “gate of tears”, lies between Yemen and Djibouti. The strait is a highly strategic route which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
The strait, which is 29 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, is one of the world’s most important routes for global seaborne commodity shipments, particularly crude oil and fuel from the Gulf bound for the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. It is also a key route for commodities bound for Asia, including Russian oil.
If the Houthis do join the war, it could render the Red Sea route unsafe, which, in the end, could further add more disruptions to global trade, energy and oil supply and deepen the West Asia crisis.
(With inputs from Reuters, AFP)