Bab al-Mandab and Saudi Security Shape Washington’s Houthi Calculations, Analyst Says

Washington’s calculations toward the Houthis are shaped by concerns over the Bab al-Mandab Strait and Saudi Arabia’s security, according to political analyst Marco Massad, a member of the Middle East Policy Council.

Massad described the situation in Yemen as highly complex, pointing to the negative political effects within the country.

He said the repercussions of those internal conditions had extended beyond Yemen, affecting the region more broadly.

His assessment places Yemen’s domestic turmoil within a wider regional security context, with Bab al-Mandab and Saudi security central to understanding Washington’s approach to the Houthis.