Houthi member warns of possible Bab el-Mandeb Strait closure amid escalation in Middle East

Yemen's Houthi armed group could block the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait if tensions between the United States and Iran escalate, a senior Houthi leader has warned.

Abdullah Al-Na'ami, a member of the Houthi Political Bureau, told China Global Television Network (CGTN) that while Yemen does not want a wider war, the Houthis are ready to respond if the U.S. and Israel seek wider escalation amid the ongoing Middle East crisis.

"If the enemy escalates, or if other parties join in to support the United States, then the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could be dragged into the war. And if the strait enters the picture, it means the world is heading toward a very big disaster. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a key pressure tool. The axis of resistance cannot give it up. Here in Yemen, we warn the United States against any escalation that could pull the strait into the war. If the strait gets drawn in, the United States and Israel will be the first to suffer. However, closing it or using it as a pressure tool won't just hurt them -- it will affect the entire region, and possibly the whole world," he said.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is the only maritime route connecting the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and serves as a critical chokepoint for oil and natural gas shipments. Before the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran began, nearly 12 percent of seaborne oil trade and eight percent of liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade passed through it.

Concerns have already been rising over the severe international disruption the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran is causing to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz -- a vital passageway which typically carries around one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade.

A delegation of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, led by its chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, arrived in Shanghai at noon on Tuesday for a mainland visit that will run through Sunday.

The delegation is scheduled to visit Jiangsu Province, Shanghai and Beijing, marking the first time in a decade that a KMT chairperson has led a delegation to the Chinese mainland.

The visit is regarded as an important part of the exchanges and dialogue between the KMT and the Communist Party of China under the new circumstances.

Strengthening exchanges and dialogue between the two parties, according to a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, will have a significant and positive impact on maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.