UN Chief Warns of Escalation as Houthis Renew Red Sea Attacks

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed "deep concern" over the resumption of Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, warning that the escalation could further inflame tensions across an already volatile Middle East.

In a statement issued through his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric on Friday, Guterres said he was "deeply concerned by the resumption of Houthi attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and renewed threats to maritime navigation."

The UN chief urged Yemen's Houthi movement to refrain from any further escalation, warning that recent attacks risk widening the regional conflict.

According to the statement, Houthi missile and drone attacks targeting two Saudi oil tankers on Wednesday night threaten to "exacerbate regional tensions and widen the spiral of escalation, with the risk of Yemen slipping into the regional conflict."

Houthis deny plans to close Bab al-Mandeb

The warning came as a Houthi spokesperson insisted that the group is not seeking to shut down the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb Strait, despite announcing a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia earlier this week.

Mohammed Abdusalam, who also serves as the group's chief negotiator, said the rebels' measures are directed solely at Saudi-linked maritime activity.

"There is no closure of Bab al-Mandeb as some are suggesting," Abdusalam said, adding that the Houthi position is "limited to a maritime blockade that only affects the Saudi side."

The Iran-backed group recently attacked a Saudi vessel in the Red Sea after declaring the embargo, a move that raised concerns over Saudi Arabia's ability to export oil following Iran's parallel blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis previously warned vessels through radio broadcasts that ships "belonging to the Saudi enemy" could be targeted if they failed to comply with the announced blockade.

Data analyzed by AFP showed that nine ships reversed course after the maritime embargo was announced, although some later resumed their original routes.

Despite the threats and temporary disruptions, maritime traffic continues through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which has become increasingly important for Saudi exports as navigation through the Strait of Hormuz has become more difficult amid the ongoing conflict.

The renewed instability has also unsettled global energy markets. Brent crude briefly surged above $100 per barrel on Thursday following the Houthi attack, adding to market concerns already fueled by the continuing confrontation between the United States and Iran.

According to maritime tracking data from Kpler, Saudi seaborne crude exports through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait increased eightfold between March and mid-July 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, underscoring the waterway's growing importance to global energy flows.