New Delhi: Iran-backed Houthi forces have taken control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline after a rapid offensive against troops loyal to the internationally
recognised government, according to reports.
The group captured the port city of Mokha before advancing towards Dhubab and several islands in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The offensive gives the Houthis greater influence over one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
Houthis capture Perim
Government officials told Reuters that Houthi fighters reached Dhubab on Friday after taking Mokha a day earlier. Boats carrying fighters also reached Mayyun Island, also called Perim, after government forces withdrew. The island lies at the centre of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
“The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandeb area,” a government source told AFP.
The Yemen Press Agency, which is based in Houthi-held Sanaa, reported that the group had also captured the al-Omari military camp overlooking the strait.
Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier-General Yahya Saree claimed the offensive drove Saudi-backed forces from six districts spread across 5,400 square kilometres. However, the Houthi administration had not issued an official announcement confirming complete control of the Bab al-Mandeb area.
Shipping fears rise
Bab al-Mandeb connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and provides access to the Suez Canal. It also serves as an important route for Saudi oil exports to Europe without using the Strait of Hormuz. The route has gained further importance since the US-Iran war disrupted shipments through Hormuz. About one-fifth of global energy shipments passed through the strait before the conflict.
The Houthi advance has raised fears of another major disruption to energy supplies. Oil prices crossed USD 100 per barrel, while average diesel prices in the United States rose above USD 6 per gallon.
“The Houthis have the strong hand now,” Al Jazeera correspondent Yousef Mawry reported from Sanaa. “They have the leverage, and they have control of Bab al-Mandeb and the shipping traffic going through the Red Sea.”
Houthi politburo member Hazem al-Assad sought to ease international concerns and said commercial shipping remained safe. “Freedom of navigation and international trade in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab are safe and orderly,” he said. “There is no cause for international concern, as they face no danger from the Yemeni side.”
Saudi strikes reported
Saudi air strikes later targeted Mokha airport, according to Houthi and other regional media reports. There was no immediate information about casualties or damage. The Saudi government did not immediately confirm the strikes.
Military analyst Andreas Krieg told Al Jazeera that the Houthis had advanced with a clear objective, while their opponents remained divided among different factions and foreign backers.
Iranian officials praised the offensive. Ebrahim Azizi, who heads Iran’s parliamentary national security commission, described Yemen as “unbowed”. Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, congratulated the Houthis on their “resounding victory”. Iran’s foreign ministry also called for an end to Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Yemen and urged all sides to resume negotiations.
