The entire coast of Yemen from the Red Sea is now under the control of the Houthi rebels, supported by Iran. They have even occupied the last strategic islands of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a Yemeni government official told AFP on Friday.
The Houthi rebels, who previously controlled a large part of northern Yemen, including the capital Sana and the western province of Hodeida, have made a lightning advance along the west coast of Yemen. The offensive was launched last week.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is situated on a maritime route essential for international trade that links Asia to Europe, through the Suez Canal.
The group has assured that navigation through the strait is “safe” for everyone, but not for Saudi Arabia. “Navigation is safe for all companies, except for Saudi ships, which have already been denied access”, stated in a communique the spokesperson of the movement, Yahya Saree.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is all the more important for Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading oil exporter, as it is now its main accessible maritime route after the blockade imposed by Iran on the Strait of Hormuz.
During the war in the Gaza Strip, Houthi rebels regularly launched drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, forcing ships to make a huge detour, circling Africa, to reach Europe, a situation that could repeat now that these insurgents have direct control over the strait, writes Agerpres.
Yemen has been the scene of a devastating conflict between pro-government forces, supported by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, and the Houthi rebels, backed by Iran. The attacks took place between 2014 and 2022, when a ceasefire came into effect. Until then, the rebels managed to occupy vast territories of the country, including the capital Sana, and the Government took refuge in the southern city of Aden.
The conflict escalated again in July 2026, after Saudi Arabia attacked the airport in Sana, to prevent the landing of an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation, returning from Tehran.
Since then, the group has intensified its attacks on military assets and areas controlled by the internationally recognized government, also launching missile and drone attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.