Houthi advance risks drawing Red Sea powers into closer alignment
An Al Jazeera opinion article says reported Houthi gains near Bab al-Mandeb could strengthen the group’s negotiating position while making a future Yemeni peace settlement more difficult.
Reported Houthi advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast could produce a broader maritime alignment involving Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United States, Israel and European states, according to an Al Jazeera opinion article.
The article says Houthi forces captured Mocha, moved into Dhubab and reached Mayyun, also known as Perim Island, near the narrowest point of the Bab al-Mandeb strait. The reported gains would give the movement greater leverage over a major shipping corridor and in any future Yemeni or regional negotiations.
A UN-mediated truce began in April 2022 and formally expired six months later, although a de facto Saudi-Houthi ceasefire largely continued. Confidence-building measures included renewed Sanaa–Saudi flights in June 2023 and Houthi talks in Riyadh in September that year. The article argues the lull allowed the Houthis to consolidate their administration, reorganise forces and expand missile, drone and recruitment capabilities.
It says disruption around Bab al-Mandeb could threaten Saudi oil exports, Egyptian Suez Canal revenues and Europe’s maritime connection with Asia. Those risks, the article argues, could encourage regional and Western governments to support closer coordination framed as the protection of international navigation.
The article does not establish that Iran ordered the offensive, saying Iranian support, weapons and training should not be confused with authorship. It warns that naval protection could safeguard shipping without resolving Yemen’s civil conflict or civilian suffering, while a new external coalition could further internationalise the war and complicate an inclusive political settlement.
