RIYADH: Yemen’s military on Thursday urged international support for the legitimate government’s battle against the Houthis as they advanced toward the critical Bab Al-Mandab Strait.

If the Iran-backed militant group gained control of the coast along the strategic waterway, it would threaten freedom of maritime navigation, international trade, and the flow of energy supplies, the country’s armed forces said.

“Empowering and supporting the legitimate Yemeni government to dismantle the Houthi project is the only way to eliminate the threat posed by the Houthi militias and ensure the success of international efforts to combat terrorism and piracy,” the statement said.

Failure to halt the Houthis would mean a victory for Iran’s agenda in the region and embolden terrorist organizations to blackmail the international community, the military added.

The Houthis resumed attacks against government forces in July, with fighting along the Red Sea coast intensifying in recent days.

The militia also this week attacked several cities in southern Saudi Arabia, drawing international condemnation.

The Houthi offensive could mean that the group occupies land along the Bab Al-Mandab Strait — the narrow entrance to the Red Sea — which serves as a key conduit for international shipping.

Yemen’s military said that the Houthis’ capture of the territory would also allow the group to rebuild their military capabilities and threaten regional and global security.

The statement said government forces are redeploying along the coast and that the Houthi militia’s advance into open areas could present an opportunity to eliminate them.

The Houthis sparked the Yemen conflict in 2014 when they seized the capital Sanaa, and captured much of the north of the country.