X suspends Houthi rebel spokesperson's account amid rising tensions in the Red Sea

[Financial News] Social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has suspended the account of Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for Yemen's pro-Iran Houthi rebels.
On the 14th local time, AP and other foreign media outlets reported that Saree's account was suspended for violating the platform's rules. At the time of the suspension, the account had about 121,000 followers. X did not specify which rule had been violated, and only displayed a notice saying, "Accounts that violate X's rules will be suspended."
Saree has been a key figure in using social media to announce military operations and advance the group's claims. In recent weeks, he has also issued statements saying the group led missile and drone attacks targeting Yemeni government forces, major infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, and tankers passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The account suspension came at a time when fighting inside Yemen and military tensions in nearby waters were sharply escalating.
According to AP, at least one government soldier was killed in overnight clashes in Yemen's Taiz region, while government shelling and Houthi drone and missile attacks continued in Marib Governorate.
On the 11th, the Houthi rebels attacked a merchant vessel passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, killing six people. The dead included three Pakistanis, and Indonesia's foreign ministry said one of its nationals was missing and two others were injured.
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively blocked by Iran, the strategic importance of the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait at Yemen's southern tip, both alternative routes for Saudi Arabia's key crude oil shipments, has grown more than ever.
The Houthi rebels have declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and are intensifying attacks on Saudi tankers and merchant ships crossing the Red Sea, deepening concerns over Middle East stability and global supply chains.
[email protected] Yoon Jae-jun Reporter