Yemen Houthis Seize Red Sea Coast and Bab al-Mandab Strait in Major Offensive
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have seized control of the country’s entire Red Sea coast and captured three strategic islands, according to government officials, consolidating their hold over a vital shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia. The offensive, which concluded on Friday, places the Bab al-Mandab Strait entirely under Houthi control and deepens the impact of regional conflict on international commerce.
Strategic Control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait
Following a week-long offensive that left hundreds dead, local officials with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government confirmed that the Bab al-Mandab area and Mayyun Island had fallen to the advancing rebels. According to a government military official cited by Agence France-Presse, the group also seized Greater and Lesser Hanish, marking the final islands in the narrow waterway to fall outside their previous administration.
A witness reported to AFP that gunmen deployed along the Bab al-Mandab shore using military vehicles. Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at the Chatham House think tank, told AFP that the move means Iran and its regional allies now control both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab chokepoint. The acquisition of Mayyun Island in the middle of the strait heightens the group’s capacity to target Saudi tankers, continuing a campaign that began in July, according to reported developments.
Impact on Global Shipping and Regional Oil Markets
The developments compound prior disruptions in regional trade lanes. According to Al Jazeera, the Houthis’ broader maritime campaign since late 2023 had already sunk four ships and killed at least nine mariners in solidarity with Palestinians during Israel’s war on Gaza. Those prior attacks reduced foreign exchange inflows from Egypt’s Suez Canal by $6 billion in 2024, as documented by the International Monetary Fund.
Following the latest territorial advances, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that navigation through the strait remains safe for all entities except Saudi Arabia, which faces an ongoing ban. Meanwhile, oil prices surpassed $100 a barrel, and average United States diesel prices topped $6 for the first time, according to market reports from the region.
Humanitarian Toll and Local Reactions
The offensive has cost more than 500 lives and displaced approximately 46,000 people, according to figures released by the United Nations migration agency on Friday. The fighting represents an escalation in Yemen’s civil war, which began with the group’s capture of the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
In Sanaa, resident Abdulhamid Dhaifallah praised the advances as major achievements, telling reporters that the group had spent four years preparing for the coastal front. Conversely, residents fleeing coastal areas like Mocha described severe disruptions and dangerous conditions as Saudi-led airstrikes and troop reinforcements from Aden attempted to counter the advance.