Houthi Forces Advance Toward Red Sea Chokepoint Amid Escalating Yemeni Clashes

Recent days have witnessed an escalation in Yemeni combat operations as the Iranian-backed Houthi militia attempts to seize territory that would grant them enhanced control over a vital international shipping corridor through the Red Sea, according to local security officials.

Intense ground engagements have set the Houthis against forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia. Analysts warn that the outcome carries significant ramifications for global trade and oil markets.

The two factions have been engaged in conflict since 2014, when the Houthis captured Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. Shortly thereafter, a Saudi-led coalition intervened to restore the legitimate government, plunging the impoverished nation into a devastating civil war that has persisted for over a decade.

A fragile peace largely held following a 2022 truce, during which the Houthis entrenched their control over northern Yemen. However, weeks of escalating tensions with the government and its Saudi supporters have threatened to reignite the civil war.

According to Col. Abdul Basit al-Baher, a Yemeni government army officer in the region, the most intense combat in recent days has centered around western Taiz.

Colonel al-Baher stated he believed the militia’s movements in Taiz were aimed at reaching Mokha, a port city situated less than 50 miles from the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical chokepoint at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

In July, the Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi oil tankers transiting the Red Sea, launching missile and drone strikes against commercial vessels and Saudi facilities from their northern Yemeni territory. Yemeni analysts suggest that securing access to Mokha would enable the Houthis to more effectively control maritime traffic entering and exiting the sea via the Bab al-Mandab.

A second security official in Taiz, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, confirmed heavy clashes in those areas and stated that the Houthis were attempting to sever supply routes to Mokha in preparation for an advance on the city.

Despite the intense battles around Taiz, Houthi political official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti downplayed the fighting in an interview, characterizing it as “nothing more than skirmishes and clashes.” He asserted that the militia was focused on confronting Saudi Arabia rather than its Yemeni allies.

“We remain committed to de-escalating domestic front lines and avoiding an expansion of the conflict,” he added.

Mokha remains under the control of Lt. Gen. Tareq Saleh, a commander allied with the Yemeni government. His spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

The Bab al-Mandab has grown increasingly vital to global energy markets since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, typically routes its oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the world’s oceans that Iran has effectively closed since the early days of the conflict.

Saudi Arabia now relies on the Red Sea to export the majority of its oil; however, over the past two months, renewed tensions with the Houthis, culminating in the blockade, have also disrupted this alternative route.

Until this week, clashes between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government had been largely confined to missile and drone attacks, without any major ground engagements.

Yemeni analysts have noted that the militia is acting in part to aid Iran, but is also striving to consolidate its power and secure access to Yemen’s oil resources following years of political stalemate.

The Houthis have stated that their attacks are pre-emptive, accusing the Saudi and Yemeni governments of amassing forces in preparation for a ground offensive.

Vivian Nereim contributed reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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