Houthi advance puts Bab al-Mandeb shipping route under pressure
Al Jazeera reports that Houthi forces have seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including Mocha, raising risks for shipping and Saudi oil exports while questions remain over whether they can sustain a blockade.
Houthi forces have reportedly captured Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and reached the Bab al-Mandeb shipping gateway, according to Al Jazeera. The reported advance included the seizure of the port city of Mocha on Thursday, marking a major setback for Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is based in Aden.
Bab al-Mandeb links the Red Sea and Suez Canal with the Gulf of Aden and is a major global shipping route. Greater Houthi control of the corridor could increase pressure on shipping companies and insurers, with potential consequences for Saudi oil exports and global energy supplies. The extent of Houthi control over the coastline, nearby islands and shipping traffic has not been independently established in the supplied material.
Saudi Arabia has relied more heavily on its East-West oil pipeline and Red Sea export routes since disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. Al Jazeera reported that Saudi forces launched dozens of missiles at Houthi-held areas, including Mocha, without apparently halting the advance. Images also appeared to show smoke near the pipeline, although Saudi Arabia has not confirmed that it was hit.
The escalation follows years of division in Yemen after Houthi forces seized Sanaa in 2014. A UN-backed truce in 2022 reduced fighting, but intermittent clashes continued before the latest offensive. Analysts cited by Al Jazeera differ over the Houthis’ ability to sustain a maritime blockade: some point to their improved military capabilities and Iranian weapons, while others cite weaknesses in governance and the fragmentation of the Saudi-backed coalition.
Al Jazeera also reported, citing Axios, that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman requested US air strikes against the Houthis from President Donald Trump, who declined. The supplied account does not independently confirm that report or the scale of the Saudi strikes. The immediate question is whether the Houthis can turn their reported territorial gains into lasting control capable of disrupting traffic through Bab al-Mandeb.
