The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency session on Tuesday, 16 September 2026, as diplomats sounded the alarm over Houthi rebel forces advancing on the Bab al Mandab Strait — the narrow chokepoint controlling access to the Red Sea and, beyond it, the Suez Canal. With the Strait of Hormuz already under severe strain, senior UN officials warned the world could be headed for a simultaneous disruption of two of its most critical maritime corridors.

What the UN Said at the Emergency Session

Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told the Council that fighting had intensified along Yemen's west coast, with Houthi forces reportedly capturing several islands in the southern Red Sea during their push toward the Bab al Mandab. “The situation in and around the Bab al Mandab Strait has become increasingly volatile in recent days,” he said, warning that developments at the strait “underline the urgent need to prevent Yemen’s conflict from further threatening the security of the Red Sea and this vital international maritime route.”

The emergency session was convened at the request of Bahrain, whose Permanent Representative Jamal Fares Alrowaiei reminded the Council that Houthi militias continue to “threaten and disrupt navigation and vital maritime lifelines” despite repeated condemnation. “It is high time for the Security Council to take a more decisive stance,” he said — a call echoed by several member states present.

The Scale of the Threat to Global Commerce

The stakes are enormous. Approximately 30 per cent of the world’s container traffic and roughly 12 per cent of all global trade pass through the Suez Canal, which is accessible only via the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandab. Any sustained disruption at the strait would ripple through supply chains across Europe, Asia, and East Africa.

Compounding the alarm is the deteriorating situation at the Strait of Hormuz, through which flows an estimated 20 per cent of global petroleum and gas supplies. Traffic on that seaway has already fallen to a trickle, according to diplomats. Greece’s Permanent Representative warned that an escalation at the mouth of the Red Sea, on top of the Hormuz crisis, would have a “devastating impact on maritime security, global trade and prosperity.”

Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the Iran Dimension

Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative Abdulaziz M Alwasil — whose country has itself come under Houthi attack — accused the rebels and their allied militias of attempting to “choke the straits with the aim of holding the global economy hostage.”

Yemen’s Permanent Representative Abdullah Ali Fadhel al-Saadi said the Sanaa government was actively trying to block the Houthi advance on the country’s west coast and urged the Council to strictly enforce the existing arms embargo against the group. The Houthi rebels are backed by Iran; US representative Jennifer Locetta called on the Council to take direct action against Tehran, which she described as arming and directing the Houthis.

Why the Security Council Remains Gridlocked

Despite the urgency, analysts and diplomats acknowledge that the Council is structurally hamstrung. The deep polarisation among its five permanent members — each holding veto power — has repeatedly prevented binding resolutions on Yemen. Several countries at Tuesday’s session voiced frustration at this paralysis, but no concrete enforcement mechanism emerged from the emergency meeting.

What Happens Next

The Houthi advance on the Bab al Mandab is being closely tracked by shipping insurers, energy traders, and governments dependent on Red Sea transit. A further deterioration could force a large-scale rerouting of vessels around the Cape of Good Hope — adding weeks and significant cost to global freight journeys, a scenario that already played out partially in the initial phase of Houthi attacks on commercial vessels. The pressure on the Security Council to move beyond condemnations is mounting, even as the path to consensus remains unclear.