According to Iran's Tasnim News Agency, Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stated that the Houthi rebels in Yemen are not an Iranian military entity, and that territorial matters in Yemen are decided by the Yemenis themselves. Rezaei indicated that the Houthi occupation of the port of Moha was driven by their own strategic considerations. Controlling Yemen's western coast would alter the country's military balance and significantly enhance the Houthi's strategic leverage against Saudi Arabia and their ability to access the Red Sea. Rezaei emphasized that Iran is responsible for its decisions regarding the Strait of Hormuz, while the Houthis are responsible for their decisions regarding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Iran has not yet announced a joint decision with Yemen to completely close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and prohibit commercial shipping.