Egypt warns Houthis: “Bab el-Mandeb is an untouchable economic lifeline”

Egyptian parliamentarian and media figure Mostafa Bakry issued a warning to the Ansar Allah group (Houthis) in Yemen against any attempt to threaten Egyptian national security or close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Bakry said in a post on X: “The Houthi group must know that Egypt will not remain silent in the event of a threat to its national security and the closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait,” adding that the strait is “Egypt’s economic lifeline and closing it is a major disaster.”

The warning comes amid growing fears of an expansion of the conflict in the region, particularly with the ongoing war between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, and associated potential threats to the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the world’s most important maritime passages, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serving as the southern gateway to the Suez Canal, with approximately 30% of global oil trade passing through it daily.

Navigation in the Red Sea has experienced significant disruptions over the past years due to Houthi attacks on ships linked to Israel, leading many vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing travel times and shipping costs. The Suez Canal incurred substantial financial losses during that period, amounting to billions of dollars, as its revenues dropped significantly due to the decline in the number of transiting ships.

Bakry’s warning comes amid regional escalation, with Iran-linked parties, including the Houthis, expressing the possibility of expanding operations to include the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in response to developments in the Iran war. Such threats are seen as potentially leading to a global economic catastrophe, particularly affecting energy supplies and essential goods.

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يجب أن تعلم جماعة الحوثي أن مصر لن تصمت في حال تهديد أمنها القومي وإغلاق مضيق باب المندب . مصر صمتت كثيرا بالرغم من الخسائر التي تكبدتها في الفترة الماضيه ، ولكن لاأظن أن مصر يمكن أن تصمت أمام التهديدات بالإغلاق ، المضيق هو الشريان الإقتصادي لمصر ، وإغلاقه كارثه كبري

— مصطفى بكري (@BakryMP) March 30, 2026