SANA’A — A senior official from Yemen’s Houthi movement, known as Ansarullah, has warned that any Israeli military presence in Somali waters could be treated as a legitimate military target, in remarks that risk further escalating tensions across the Red Sea region.
Mohammed al-Farah, a member of the group’s political bureau, said on Monday that Israeli activities in Somalia and the surrounding maritime zone were “deeply concerning” and would be viewed as an attempt to assert control over one of the world’s most strategic shipping corridors.
“The actions of the Zionist enemy in that area will be considered an attempt to dominate a critical maritime passage and undermine security across the entire region, including Saudi Arabia,” al-Farah said in comments carried by Houthi-aligned media.
The statement comes amid heightened regional sensitivities over the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab strait, a narrow waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden through which a significant portion of global maritime trade passes.
Al-Farah added that any Israeli military deployment in Somali territory or waters would represent a “direct threat” to Yemen’s national security. He further referenced earlier warnings by Houthi leadership that foreign military bases in Somalia or the self-declared republic of Somaliland would be treated as hostile installations.
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has previously said that any Israeli or U.S. military presence in Somaliland would cross a “red line” and could trigger a forceful response.
The Ansarullah official also argued that security in the Red Sea should not depend on foreign military bases, but instead be managed by regional coastal states, warning that external involvement risks further destabilising the area.
The remarks come against the backdrop of expanding geopolitical competition in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea corridor, where global and regional powers are increasingly seeking influence over strategic ports and shipping lanes.
Tensions have risen since Israel formally recognised Somaliland in December 2025, a move that angered the Federal Government of Somalia, which claims the breakaway territory as part of its sovereign land.
Since the recognition, reports and analysis from regional media and security observers have suggested increasing Israeli interest in maritime cooperation and strategic access points in the Horn of Africa, although no official confirmation of military basing has been made.
The Bab al-Mandab strait has become a focal point of strategic rivalry in recent years, particularly following attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi forces in the context of the Gaza conflict and wider regional tensions involving Iran-aligned groups and Western naval deployments.
Regional governments, including Gulf states and Turkey, have repeatedly warned that further militarisation of the Red Sea corridor could destabilise one of the world’s most important trade arteries.
Analysts say the latest Houthi warning underscores the risk that the Horn of Africa and southern Red Sea region could become a wider arena for proxy confrontation involving Middle Eastern and international powers.
