Houthis advance toward Bab el-Mandeb, raising concerns over key global shipping route

SANA’A, Sept 11: Iran-backed Houthi fighters have advanced into Yemen’s Red Sea coastal area, moving closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, raising concerns over the security of the strategically important waterway.

Reuters, citing four sources in Yemen’s internationally recognized government, reported that the Houthis had taken control of the strategic Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and, after Saudi-backed Yemeni forces withdrew, also seized the coastal town of Dhubab, located opposite the island.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a critical maritime route for global trade, linking Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Greater Houthi control in the area could pose new risks to commercial shipping, energy supplies and regional security.

The Reuters report said that effective Houthi control over Bab el-Mandeb could provide Iran with a significant strategic advantage amid its confrontation with the United States, while disruption of another major maritime chokepoint could put additional pressure on global oil prices.

Yemeni government forces are preparing to respond to the Houthi advance and have announced the deployment of military equipment and aircraft in key coastal areas, including Mokha.

The Houthi advance comes at a time when tensions in the Middle East have already disrupted maritime traffic around the Strait of Hormuz, potentially increasing the strategic importance of Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea for international shipping.