Safer becomes Iran's latest tool to control Red Sea
Iran works to have a foothold in the Red Sea, which can give it influence over the strategic Bab el-Mandab Strait.
The strait is located in the
southern part of the Red Sea. It separates Yemen to the east in Asia, and
Djibouti and Eritrea to the west in Africa.
It is one of the most coveted
waterways. Militias operating in Yemen can use the strait in threatening the
flow of goods and energy to world markets.
The Iran-backed Houthi militia controls
the Yemeni port of Hodeidah on Yemen's western coast.
The militia encourages piracy, arms
smuggling and contraband with the support of the Iranian regime, which sponsors
terrorist movements in the region.
Time bomb
All this comes as the Houthis insist
to keep the oil tanker, Safer, in its custody and prevent the necessary
maintenance operations for it.
The militia also refuses to allow
the cargo on board of the tanker to be unloaded, turning it into a time bomb
that could go off at any time and pollute international waters, if the Houthi
militia was subjected to any sweeping attack.
This explains why the Houthis obstruct
attempts to end the tanker crisis.
While Saudi Arabia works to maintain
stability in Bab el-Mandab Strait to ensure the flow of oil, Iran works on
provocation by supporting the Houthi militia on the western coast of Yemen.
Houthi hacking
Since the outbreak of war in Yemen,
the Houthis have seized strategic ports along the Yemeni coast and used them to
attack foreign ships sailing through the Red Sea waters.
Given the importance of the Bab el-Mandab
Strait, countries whose interests are linked to that vital shipping lane have
built military bases at the entrance to the Red Sea after robbery and terrorist
attacks on ships interrupted the passage of oil supplies.
According to observers,
international fears stem from the possible escalation of the situation in
western Yemen in a way that is out of control, if the Houthi militia continues
to control the western coast of Yemen during the coming period.
