H.E. President Rashad Al-Alimi addresses the growing threat to maritime security in the Red Sea. in a session at the Munich Security Conference:

The danger stems from the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist militia and its links to terrorist networks inside Yemen and the Horn of Africa. This is not a temporary challenge — it is a strategic threat.

Iran has invested in the Houthis as part of a broader expansionist project, using armed proxies linked to the IRGC to threaten maritime routes and hold the Red Sea hostage to political blackmail.

For years, parts of the international community misread the Houthis as a tactical actor that could be contained.

That miscalculation enabled their control over parts of Yemen’s coastline and contributed to today’s maritime crisis.

Without Operation Decisive Storm led by Saudi Arabia in 2015, the Houthis would have controlled Yemen’s entire 2,500 km coastline. Today, they control less than 30%.

The Houthis have detained UN staff, displaced over 5 million Yemenis, pushed 19 million into poverty, and caused nearly 500,000 deaths since the war began.
This is a group that does not respect international law or moral norms.

President Al-Alimi outlined four priorities:

• Uphold state sovereignty & confront expansionist agendas
• Support national governments to secure their coasts

• Develop a coordinated counterterrorism strategy

• Strengthen Red Sea regional security mechanisms

A strong Yemeni state is essential for Gulf, Red Sea, and global security.