Thousands of Houthi Supporters Rally in Yemen as Sanaa Sends Strong Public Message Backing Iran
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps8Q_DmtaV4
Workers in Saada, Yemen say they dug tunnels for the #Iran-backed Huthis, who then refused to pay them, telling them: “You worked for the sake of God—go home. The disgruntled workers released videos & are threatening to publish more unless they receive their wages.
https://x.com/nasermoh29/status/2040378263219122292
video Houthis’ Potential Impact on Africa; DRC Commences Anti-FDLR Ops: Africa File, April 2, 2026
The Houthis have not joined Iran's economic warfare campaign since entering the Iran war, but they have threatened to close the Bab el Mandeb—the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Such a campaign could target positions in Africa and benefit from Houthi links in the Horn
Houthi networks in the Horn of Africa could be key in supporting any such campaign due to pressure on primary logistic networks from Iran. Yemeni officials claimed that Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps officials arrived in Yemen via “the Horn of Africa” in the days before they entered the war in March 2026.
- Somalia: The Houthis and Iran have been increasingly involved in illicit networks linking Yemen and Somalia, which function both as an alternative supply line and a revenue-generating source.
- Djibouti: Djibouti has played a growing role in smuggling weapons to the Houthis since 2023, as the loosening of UN inspections on shipments to Houthi-controlled ports has enabled more weapons to be smuggled in civilian commercial shipments.
- Eritrea or Sudan: SanaaCenter cited a Yemeni official in a 2024 report who said that Eritrea and Sudan have also become nodes to move Iranian weapons and fighters to Yemen.
- Energy consultants have warned that the closure of the Bab el Mandeb would “very likely” cause oil prices to surpass more than $150 per barrel, which is more than double the prewar cost, in the following months.
- Saudi Arabia has rerouted a significant portion of its oil exports to the Red Sea port of Yanbu in response to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with exports reaching nearly 70 percent of its prewar output and primarily going south through the Bab el Mandeb Strait to Asia. A regional Houthi campaign in the Gulf states or the Red Sea would further cripple the global economy.
Global economy:
The Red Sea and its two entrances—the Suez Canal and Bab el Mandeb—also account for nine to 12 percent of global trade and 25 to 30 percent of global container trade. Major carriers, including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, and CMA CGM, have already announced that they have begun rerouting vessels along the alternative route around Africa's southern tip at the Cape of Good Hope, which significantly increases shipping costs and timelines.