If the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates, will the Houthis mine the Red Sea gates?

In 1984, a sabotage operation using sea mines, the perpetrators of which are still disputed, disrupted navigation through the gateways of the Red Sea - the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. In response to regional requests, a US-led coalition launched counter-operations, restoring safe navigation in the strategic waterway linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Forty years on, sea mines still pose a potential threat to maritime trade, energy products, and underwater digital infrastructure in and around the Red Sea. Yemen’s Houthi rebel group has held freedom of navigation in the region hostage since mid-November 2023, launching hundreds of missile, drone, and boat attacks on commercial shipping in support of Palestinians in Gaza. If the war continues, the Houthis may also resort to laying mines to try to close the Bab al-Mandab or attack international shipping in the Red Sea.

Throughout history, powers with limited naval capabilities have used naval mines to level the playing field against more powerful adversaries. Both Iran and Iraq used mines during their 1980-1988 war. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, it laid more than a thousand mines off the coast of Kuwait to prevent a U.S.-led coalition from launching an amphibious landing.

Naval mines provide a strategic advantage in the defense doctrine of small states and non-state actors. They are highly regarded as relatively inexpensive and can be deployed without the support of advanced naval platforms. They also impose disproportionate costs on an adversary determined or forced to clear mine-contaminated waters, thus changing power dynamics.

The tactical specifications of the sea mines in the Houthis’ stockpile do not allow for precise targeting of ships, and therefore the widespread use of sea mines could cause significant damage to ships heading to ports in areas controlled by the Houthis or linked to countries that do not have open disputes with the armed group, such as Iran, China, and Russia.

However, Houthi mines pose a significant potential threat to navigation in and around the Red Sea. On October 27, 2024, Houthi-affiliated media outlets released propaganda videos of a recent military exercise simulating coastal combat operations with sea mines, underscoring the active role of submerged explosives in the militant group’s war doctrine. If the Gaza and Lebanon wars continue and hostilities between Israel and Iran also escalate, the Houthis may adjust their tactics and add sea mines to the security equation.

In anticipation of such a shift, some regional states have sought to develop mine countermeasure capabilities. The Saudi Navy has three Sandown-class minehunters in active service. The United Arab Emirates currently deploys a Frankenthal-class minehunter. A second minehunter was badly damaged in a Houthi attack in 2017 and is believed to be out of service.

The US Navy, based in Bahrain, operates Task Force 52, a specialized mine warfare force that includes four Avenger-class ships and MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters. The Royal Navy's Mine Countermeasures Squadron 9, consisting of three ships and a support vessel, is also based in Bahrain.

The United States and the United Kingdom conduct bilateral and multilateral mine action and explosive ordnance disposal exercises to test their capabilities to respond to naval mine incidents and enhance interoperability. However, efforts to enhance mine action readiness rarely top security priorities, resulting in a shortage of platforms and resources.

Searching for and removing mines is a costly and time-consuming process. Demining ships are made of wood and fiberglass to minimize their impact, and they are vulnerable to drones and missiles fired from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen.

The fact that the Houthis’ maritime offensive pattern has evolved significantly over the past ten months suggests that the militia has the political will and ability to adjust its tactics to changing circumstances on the naval battlefield. Regional and external countries would be wise to increase their mine countermeasures capabilities in preparation.

• Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco specializes in marine operations in the Arabian Gulf and its adjacent waters.
• Source: Stimpson Center - Translation: Yemen Youth Net