Houthi Rebels Seize Yemen's Entire Red Sea Coast and Key Bab al-Mandeb Strait

A satellite image of Bab al-Mandeb - gateway to the Red Sea and Suez Canal [File: Nasa Worldview/Reuters]

According to reports, the Houthis have successfully taken control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast. In a rapid advance against forces loyal to the internationally recognised Yemeni government, the rebel group seized the final coastal towns early on Friday and expanded their control to islands within the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, as confirmed by government sources and witnesses.

This strategic advance significantly strengthens the control held by the Iran-backed Houthis over a vital shipping route. The Red Sea has increasingly served as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, a passage that previously handled approximately one-fifth of global energy shipments prior to the outbreak of the war between the United States and Iran earlier this year.

Reporting from Taiz city, Al Jazeera’s Maha Ali noted that Houthi fighters arrived at the coastal town of al-Makha, also known as Mocha, at dawn on Thursday before moving offshore to take control of nearby islands. Yemeni government sources informed the Reuters news agency on Friday that Houthi fighters had also reached the town of Dhubab, situated on the coast of Bab al-Mandeb.

According to a local government official who spoke anonymously to the AFP agency, boats carrying fighters arrived at Mayyun Island in the centre of the strait following the withdrawal of government forces. “The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandeb area,” the official stated. Additionally, the Sanaa-based Yemen Press Agency cited field sources reporting that Houthi forces had captured the Al-Omari camp overlooking the strait.

Reporting from Sanaa, Al Jazeera’s Nabil al-Yousfi highlighted that the Houthi government has yet to issue an official announcement confirming their control over Bab al-Mandeb.

Serving as the southern gateway to the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb acts as a crucial approach to Saudi oil terminals that transport crude oil to Europe while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic through this corridor previously declined during an earlier Houthi campaign targeting shipping operations in the region.

“The Houthis have the strong hand now,” stated Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry, reporting from the capital, Sanaa. “They have the leverage and they have control of Bab al-Mandeb and the shipping traffic going through the Red Sea.” He further noted a lack of indications that Yemeni government forces are preparing a counteroffensive to reverse the Houthi advances.

Amid reports of the Houthi advance, the average price of diesel in the United States climbed above $6 a gallon, while oil prices on Friday tracked toward closing above $100 a barrel for the first time since mid-May. Furthermore, the International Energy Agency projected on Friday that global oil supply and demand will likely experience steeper declines this year than previously estimated, as the US-Iran war delays normal Middle East energy flows into 2027. Iran has effectively pressured the US by restricting Gulf exports through Hormuz, thereby suppressing energy supplies and driving up prices globally.