Houthi Rebels, Backed by Iran, Intensify Pressure on Red Sea Blockade

[The Financial News]  
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The Houthi rebels in Yemen have suggested the possibility of attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea.
They also warned that their attacks could intensify even if the ceasefire between the United States of America (U.S.) and Iran is extended.
According to Al Jazeera on the 21st local time, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi rebels, said in a televised speech that the 'fragile' ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to end soon, adding that tensions in the region are likely to rise.
Al-Houthi said, "This ceasefire is only a temporary pause amid ongoing conflict with the enemy," and asserted, "There is no doubt that further fighting will continue."
Earlier, the Houthi rebels demonstrated their presence by launching a missile attack on the State of Israel last month.
The rebels' most powerful weapon is the blockade of the Red Sea.
The 32-kilometer-wide Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the entrance to the Red Sea, lies next to areas controlled by the Houthi rebels. It is a strategic chokepoint linking the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, then on to the Atlantic Ocean.
About 12% of global maritime trade passes through the strait every day. If the route is blocked and the Suez Canal becomes unusable, ships would have to detour around the Cape Route off the Cape of Good Hope. That would add 10 to 14 days to sailing schedules.
As ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran have stalled, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels are being seen as joining Iran's side in support.
dympna@fnnews.com Song Kyung-jae Reporter