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Houthi threats in Yemen, along with supportive Islamist rhetoric from Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood-linked voices, are raising concerns over the security of the Red Sea and the broader Gulf region amid the West Asia conflict, a Gulf-based analyst warned.
The analyst cautioned that the ongoing conflict in West Asia could escalate into a wider regional crisis unless diplomatic efforts succeed in containing it quickly. Intensive engagement is underway, as per the analyst, with Gulf states, neighbouring countries, and key international actors to manage the situation. The analyst further stressed that the issue cannot be seen as a narrow regional flashpoint, warning of wider repercussions for fuel security, shipping channels, market confidence, and international stability. "The issue cannot be viewed as a narrow regional flashpoint, since any deeper escalation would carry implications for energy security, shipping lanes, market stability, and the broader global order," the analyst said. "Houthi threats in Yemen, coupled with supportive Islamist rhetoric from Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood-linked voices, are adding to anxiety over the security of the Red Sea, one of the world's most important commercial waterways," the analyst added. The warning underscores growing anxiety in the Gulf over regional stability, particularly in light of the strategic importance of the Red Sea as one of the world's key commercial waterways. Due to the conflict in the region, the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transit route for global energy supply, has reportedly been rendered inoperational. The analyst warned that escalation in the conflict can also be witnessed in the trade routes through the Red Sea, with added threats by Houthis in Yemen, and Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood-linked voices. The Red Sea, which connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal, is a key commercial transit point for trade connecting Europe with Asia. Earlier on Thursday, the newly appointed Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, in his first-ever address, thanked resistance fighters of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen for supporting the Islamic Regime, as the conflict escalates. "Without a doubt, the solidarity of the components of the resistance front will shorten the path to liberation from the Zionist sedition. The brave and faithful Yemen did not stop defending the oppressed people of Gaza, and the devoted Hezbollah has come to the aid of the Islamic Republic despite all obstacles, and the Iraqi resistance has courageously taken the same line," the Supreme Leader said. The conflict in the region escalated following the killing of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28, after which Iran, in its retaliation, targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries and Israel, causing disruption in the waterway and affecting international energy markets and global economic stability. (ANI)
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