Houthis seize Yemen’s Red Sea coast and Bab al‑Mandeb gateway

Houthi forces have taken full control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, overtaking the internationally recognized government in a swift offensive that now dominates the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical maritime chokepoint.

Published On 11 Sep 202611 Sep 2026

Houthi rebels have captured Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline, according to recent reports.

In a swift offensive launched early Friday, Houthi fighters overran the last coastal towns held by the internationally recognised Yemeni government and advanced onto islands within the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, according to government sources and eyewitnesses.

The rapid advance consolidates the Iran‑backed Houthis’ grip on a key shipping artery. The Red Sea has long served as an alternate route to the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one‑fifth of global energy shipments passed before the United States‑Iran conflict erupted earlier this year.

Houthi forces entered the coastal town of al‑Makha (commonly called Mocha) at dawn on Thursday and subsequently secured nearby islands, reported Al Jazeera’s Maha Ali from Taiz.

Yemeni government officials told Reuters on Friday that Houthi fighters had reached the town of Dhubab, situated on the Bab al‑Mandeb coastline.

Armed boats transporting fighters arrived at Mayyun Island, situated in the heart of the strait, after government forces withdrew, an anonymous local official told AFP.

“The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al‑Mandeb area,” the source said.

The Sanaa‑based Yemen Press Agency reported, citing field sources, that Houthi forces captured the Al‑Omari camp, which overlooks the strait.

Al Jazeera’s Nabil al‑Yousfi, reporting from Sanaa, noted that the Houthi administration has not yet issued an official statement confirming control over Bab al‑Mandeb.

Leverage

Bab al‑Mandeb serves as the southern gateway to the Red Sea and provides access to Saudi oil terminals that export crude to Europe while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Maritime traffic through the strait fell sharply during the earlier Houthi attacks aimed at disrupting shipping.

“The Houthis now hold the upper hand,” reported Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry from the capital, Sanaa. “They possess leverage and control over Bab al‑Mandeb and the shipping lanes traversing the Red Sea.” He added that there are few indications that Yemeni government forces are planning a counteroffensive to dislodge the Houthis.

As news of the Houthi advance spread, the average price of diesel in the United States crossed $6 per gallon, and oil futures closed above $100 a barrel on Friday for the first time since mid‑May.

The International Energy Agency projected on Friday that global oil supply and demand are likely to decline more sharply this year than previously expected, with the US‑Iran conflict pushing back normal Middle East flows until 2027.

Iran has successfully exerted pressure on the United States by restricting Gulf exports through the Strait of Hormuz, curbing energy supplies and driving up global prices.

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