At a time when Egyptian government agencies are trying to release kidnapped sailors off the Somali coast, a new crisis has surfaced related to the presence of people stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs and Egyptians Abroad, Ambassador Haddad El-Gohary, revealed that “there are hundreds of ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz, with Egyptian and non-Egyptian sailors on board,” noting that “the Ministry urges Egyptian sailors who are in danger areas to contact the nearest embassy or consulate.”
He pointed out in television statements that the Ministry had already succeeded in facilitating the entry of Egyptian sailors to Emirati ports and obtaining exceptional visas for them, which allowed them to leave the ships and return to Egypt, noting that dozens of sailors were returned with this mechanism.
Discrepancy regarding detainees
But the head of the Egyptian Maritime Officers Syndicate, Captain Al-Sayed Al-Shazly, confirmed that the sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz returned to Egypt, and their crisis ended after there were 22 of them stranded either because their work contracts had expired, and they had problems returning due to the high cost, or they had financial dues that they had not yet received, or those who feared returning, and faced crises in changing crews due to the disturbances in the Strait of Hormuz.
He added in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat that last week the crisis of 3 sailors was resolved, and a few days ago an agreement was reached regarding the return of 19 others who were stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, through joint efforts carried out by the competent maritime authorities, in cooperation with the Maritime Officers Syndicate and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
He talked about “pressure exerted by various parties to replace crews stranded in dangerous areas, provide safe passages, obtain the necessary travel documents for those who lost their papers during crises, and ensure that ship owners bear the full costs of travel and return, in addition to obliging insurance companies and protection clubs to pay late salaries in accordance with the Maritime Labor Convention.”
While Al-Shazly complained of “weak communication mechanisms with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the former Dean of the College of International Transport and Logistics, Dr. Muhammad Ali Ibrahim, pointed out in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat that sailors’ crises “are constantly renewed in light of regional tensions, communication difficulties, and mutual strikes in the Strait of Hormuz, and that solving the problems of a number of sailors with whom the union communicated does not mean that there are no others,” stressing the importance of “intervention.” Rapid humanitarian action to save them.
Asharq Al-Awsat tried to contact the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to learn the details of the sailors detained in Hormuz, but did not receive a response until the report was published.
The kidnapping crisis continues
In addition, the crisis of the Egyptian sailors detained on board an oil tanker off the coast of Somalia since the beginning of last May is still ongoing, and a few days ago the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it is intensifying its contacts and diplomatic movements to release 8 Egyptians out of the 12 kidnapped, amid efforts to ensure their safety and improve their conditions until they return to their families.
Al-Shazly indicated that the situation has not changed since their kidnapping, noting that negotiations are continuing with the pirates to release them, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is communicating with the Yemeni and Somali authorities to facilitate their return.
Dr. Muhammad Ali Ibrahim stressed that “the phenomenon of piracy may expand due to tensions in the Red Sea, which prompts terrorist elements in Somalia to carry out new operations, and other sea lanes - such as the Cape of Good Hope and the Strait of Malacca - also face piracy operations, in addition to environmental and climatic difficulties, which are another threat to sailors from all over the world.”
Sheikh Bakil Al-Sufi, head of the Tribal Affairs Department of the Yemeni Ministry of Interior, sent a message to the Houthis stating, “Your hour has approached, and you will leave Yemen because of your actions.”
Al-Sufi believes that the escalating state of anger in the Houthi-controlled areas has gone beyond the limits of complaining about the economic and living conditions, and is approaching a moment of action in which the tribes are waiting for the “zero hour” and what he described as a “ray of hope” or support from the Yemeni government.
In a new episode of “Al-Sharq Al-Awsat Podcast”, conducted in the “Al-Sharq Al-Awsat” newsroom in Riyadh, the head of “Tribal Affairs” spoke about the “tribal struggle” and the Al-Rayyan battles in Al-Jawf Governorate, and the relationship of the tribes with the Houthis, recalling his experience in mediation with the leaders of the group more than a decade ago, leading to his vision of the future of the confrontation and his reference to expected military “surprises.”
During the interview, which was filmed on August 20, 2026, Al-Sufi explains “Al-Nakf” as a tradition in which tribes resort to gathering in what is known as “Al-Mutarih” when there is injustice or a situation that calls for mobilization, stressing that what is happening in Al-Jawf is “a reflection of what they saw from the actions of the Houthis” and the attempts to subjugate and humiliate the tribes.
According to the head of the Tribal Affairs Department, the tribe has historically remained “an integral part of the state” and the “backbone” supporting it, and in places where there is no presence of official institutions, tribal customs and connections assume roles in maintaining security and stability.
Logos deception
Al-Sufi believes that the Houthis succeeded, at the beginning of their entry into Sanaa, in addressing people’s feelings through slogans of poverty, high prices, and corruption, before the tribes discovered, as he put it, that these slogans were a means of reaching power. He accused the group of imposing levies and taxes on various activities, and using talk of the “siege” to justify the deterioration of living conditions.
But the most important shift, in his estimation, is occurring within the group’s areas of control itself. He says that the tribes are “not only waiting to join the strikes,” but that there is a broader willingness to move against the Houthis, adding: “People are just waiting for zero hour.” He confirms that he personally communicates with figures inside the country without revealing their names, describing the situation as “on the crater of a volcano.”
Al-Sufi recalls his experience as head of a mediation committee between the Houthis and Salafists in Kattaf during the years 2011 and 2012, where he dealt with Mahdi Al-Mashat, and met Abu Ali Al-Hakim, Youssef Al-Fishi, and Saleh Al-Sammad. He says that this experience led him from that time to believe that the group was implementing an Iranian project, and he considered Abu Ali al-Hakim to be one of the most important figures he knew within it due to the security and military files that he managed.
Negotiations failed
Al-Sufi does not believe that the negotiation process over the past years has proven an ability to end the crisis. He believes that the Houthis maneuver when they feel pressure, citing his previous experience with them, and stressing that the group was more willing to make concessions when it was in a weak position.
Regarding the delay in military resolution, he says that the government is acting as a state that has internal and external obligations, and must calculate the economic and military repercussions before and after the battle, unlike armed groups.
However, Al-Sufi concluded his speech with a remarkable message, saying that there are “strong arrangements” and “surprises” that the Yemenis will hear about soon.
When he was asked if these surprises were “a plane or on the ground?”, he answered briefly: “A plane and on the ground.”
Major General Dr. Mukhtar Al-Rabash Al-Haythami, Governor of Abyan and commander of its military axis, confirmed the readiness of his forces for the “zero hour” to begin the attack on the Houthis, revealing plans and operations being coordinated with the rest of the axes and fronts, and the strengthening of the contact lines extending for about 76 kilometers between Abyan and Al-Bayda with “quality” weapons.
Al-Rabash said, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, that “the Abyan axis is ready, leadership and personnel, and is waiting for the zero hour,” noting that the morale of the forces is “higher than ever before,” and that preparations are taking place according to a “tight plan” in coordination with the Saudi-led coalition, the Presidential Command Council, and the Yemeni Ministry of Defense.
The governor of Abyan saw that the recent field developments showed “a fighting spirit and high morale” among the government forces, saying that the goal that unites the military leaders is “to liberate Sanaa and Yemen from the Houthi militias and end the Iranian project.”
Al-Rabash described cooperation with Saudi Arabia as an important pillar in the governorate’s rehabilitation plans, noting that a three-day workshop with the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen ended in identifying eight priority sectors and approving 24 service projects.
76 km of contact lines with the Houthis
According to Al-Rabash, the Abyan fronts are distributed on more than one axis, and the lines of contact with the Houthis on the borders of Al-Bayda Governorate extend for about 76 kilometers, and witness repeated confrontations.
The governor indicated that the plan to strengthen these fronts includes raising readiness and supporting them with some qualitative weapons, in parallel with community and tribal mobilization to support government forces.
Al-Rabbash believes that the chances of a resolution have become greater, after “the Houthis were given one opportunity after another to go to peace,” adding that the group, instead of investing in those opportunities, continued to escalate internally and threaten international navigation.
Houthi cells and assassination attempts
Regarding the security file, Al-Rabash revealed the arrest of Houthi cells in the governorate, saying that the number of elements arrested by the security services during the past years ranged between 120 and 150 elements.
He explained that the most recent Houthi cells that were seized included two members, while four others fled, pointing out that those arrested confessed, according to him, to preparing four explosive devices to target him personally, in addition to an attempt to target Brigadier General Ahmed Al-Damani, commander of the “National Shield” forces in Abyan.
The governor spoke about “service and coordination” between the Houthis and terrorist organizations, and said that leaders in the local authority and the security and military services were subjected to targeting attempts, while a number of security leaders were killed during confrontations with those groups.
He pointed out that Abyan has paid successive prices since Al-Qaeda took control of areas including in 2011, through the entry of the Houthis in 2015, and up to the conflict that the governorate witnessed in 2019 between the legitimate government and the forces of the Transitional Council, which caused extensive damage to the infrastructure, the social fabric, and the local economy.
The size of Al-Qaeda in Abyan
Regarding the size of Al-Qaeda’s current presence, Al-Rabash said that the ideological elements affiliated with the organization have become “very few,” according to estimates by the competent security services, but the danger still exists through hidden cells and the recruitment of some deceived young people, exploiting poverty and ignorance.
He added that some elements come from other governorates, while others arrive “across the sea from some countries,” noting that the Abyan coast, which extends for more than 300 kilometers, poses a security challenge and requires major surveillance capabilities.
Dr. Mukhtar stressed that the security and military confrontation alone is not enough, and that combating extremism requires a parallel path that includes education, awareness, development, and job creation, in addition to the involvement of tribes and the local community.
He said: “When a citizen feels that the state exists through school, service, and the opportunity to work, he becomes less likely to accept ideas that only bring death and blood.”
24 Saudi projects
Regarding the development file, Al-Rabash described cooperation with Saudi Arabia as an important pillar in the governorate’s rehabilitation plans, noting that a three-day workshop with the Saudi Program for the Development and Reconstruction of Yemen ended in identifying eight priority sectors and approving 24 service projects.
He explained that the projects include the sectors of electricity, water, health, education and roads, in addition to larger strategic projects that are being worked on.
The governor placed the strategic Wadi Hassan Dam at the forefront of the projects that Abyan is counting on, explaining that it will contribute to replenishing groundwater and wells that supply Aden with water, in addition to its expected role in revitalizing the agricultural sector.
He said that Wadi Hassan was historically part of the agricultural status that made Abyan known as “the food basket of Yemen,” considering that investing in modern agricultural technologies could restore this role to the governorate and expand its production capacity.
He praised Saudi support for the governorate and Yemen in general, especially in hospitals, schools, electricity and roads, saying that these projects “directly affect human life.”
Al-Rabash added: “We extend our thanks and appreciation to the brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the king, the crown prince, the government and the people, for the efforts they provide in various fields, which are countless efforts,” pointing out that Saudi support included “building hospitals and schools, rehabilitating roads, supporting the electricity sector, and everything that would improve the lives of Yemeni people.”
The governor of Abyan made a comparison between the Saudi role and what the Houthi group is doing, saying: “The brothers in Saudi Arabia are building hospitals, schools, and roads, while the Houthis bring missiles to destroy them. He kills and destroys but does not build, and his attacks have targeted mosques, schools and hospitals.”
He added: “The Saudi neighbor and brother, with whom we are united by ties of blood, religion, tribe and neighbourhood, comes to help build and improve people’s lives. This is the difference that every person with insight sees.”
“I will show first.”
Al-Rabash believes that security and development represent two paths that cannot be separated from each other, which is what prompted the local authority to adopt the slogan “Abyan first... prestige to be preserved and development to be built.”
He said that the priorities are focused on five main sectors: electricity, water, health, education, and roads, in parallel with establishing security, combating terrorism and crime, and raising the readiness of the fronts.
He pointed out that the local authority expanded communication with tribes, scholars, media figures, youth, women, and social and sports events, with the aim of building a community partnership, considering that the response of the population represents one of the most important elements of the success of the new phase.
Al-Rabash concluded with a message to the people of the governorate in which he called on them to “come together and work with the heart of one man,” stressing that the stability and rebuilding of Abyan “will not be achieved without a true partnership between the community and the local authority.”
