Questions Mount Over National Defense Council’s Failure to Secure Bab al-Mandab

Public and military scrutiny is intensifying toward the Yemeni National Defense Council regarding the absence of immediate deterrent measures and air support following the Houthi militia’s seizure of the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the western coastline.

The rapid fall of critical locations, including Dhubab, the port of Mocha, and strategic positions overlooking the strait, has sparked widespread shock across Yemen and the region. Military observers are questioning the council’s lack of proactive defensive planning, noting that the militia’s mobilization was evident long before the offensive. Critics have dismissed the council's official statements as reactive rhetoric that fails to address the magnitude of the geopolitical crisis unfolding on the ground.

A primary concern remains the Yemeni government’s inability, after a decade of conflict, to develop or activate an independent air support capability, even through the deployment of modern unmanned aerial vehicles. This structural deficiency has rendered strategic fronts entirely dependent on the operational speed of the Saudi-led Coalition. While coalition airstrikes eventually targeted militia supply lines and positions in Mocha, these interventions occurred only after the Houthis had established fortified defensive positions, significantly complicating efforts to reclaim the territory.

The crisis has been further exacerbated by a perceived lack of international resolve. The reluctance of the United States to engage in direct military action against the Houthis, choosing instead to focus on the Strait of Hormuz and limited intelligence cooperation, has left the Yemeni government isolated. Furthermore, emergency sessions of the UN Security Council have yielded little more than diplomatic expressions of concern, failing to translate into tangible enforcement of arms embargoes or forceful deterrence.

The National Defense Council now faces an existential test. The government must decide whether to transition from issuing political declarations to implementing a unified, aggressive military strategy on the ground. Failure to consolidate military factions and assert control over this vital maritime chokepoint risks transforming the Bab al-Mandab Strait into a permanent instrument of Iranian leverage in the region.