Houthi Advance Toward Bab el-Mandeb Raises Alarm Over Red Sea Shipping
Yemen’s Houthi militants have pushed south toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a move that could put one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints under fresh
Yemen’s Houthi militants have pushed south toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a move that could put one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints under fresh pressure. Military sources said the group has tightened its grip on the Red Sea coast in a shift that reaches far beyond Yemen’s long-running war.
The advance, reported on Sept. 10, has raised the stakes for shipping lanes that carry energy and cargo between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Control of the strait matters. A lot. Any disruption there can ripple through global trade, oil flows and freight routes that already face periodic tension in the region.
Mocha falls, pressure builds south
Four government military sources said the Houthis seized the historic port city of Mocha. They also pushed government forces and their allies south to Dhubab, a coastal area that sits directly on the strait across from Perim island. The same sources said the Houthis had launched attacks on the strategic Red Sea islands of Hanish.
That shift marks a strategic change for the Iran-aligned movement. For years, the Houthis have been strongest in Yemen’s north. Now they are trying to widen their reach along the coast, giving themselves more leverage over maritime traffic and over the Saudi-backed government forces opposing them.
Strategic choke point
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and stands as a key route for global energy and commodity shipments. Sources said control of Dhubab and Perim island is key to holding the strait. That is why the fighting around the southern coast has drawn attention well beyond Yemen.
The escalation has also opened a second theatre in the wider Iran conflict, with implications for regional security and trade. Reuters noted that Brent crude prices hovered above the latest level it cited in its report, reflecting the market’s sensitivity to any threat near a major shipping corridor.
Houthis play down disruption
A Houthi spokesperson said freedom of navigation remains uninterrupted. The group has made similar claims before as tensions rose around the Red Sea, even as attacks and territorial gains have stoked concern among shipping interests and governments across the region.
But on the ground, the fighting has intensified in recent days, and the coast south of Mocha now sits at the center of the contest. “Control of Dhubab and the island is key to gaining hold of the strait,” the Yemeni sources said.
