Yemen’s Houthis have taken control of the entire Yemeni coastline on the Red Sea and seized Perim Island near the entrance to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to Al Jazeera. In an offensive that began a day earlier, the Iran-backed group reportedly captured several towns without resistance after Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia had already withdrawn. The port city of Mocha was among the areas taken.
A key export route at risk
The move marks the Houthis’ most significant advance so far in their effort to control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes. The passage is used to ship oil and petroleum products from Gulf countries to Europe and Asia.
If the Houthis succeed in asserting control over the strait, Saudi Arabia could face major disruption to exports to Asia, as millions of barrels of oil pass through the route each day. The corridor has become even more important because shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has already been disrupted by the ongoing war between the United States and Iran. Control over Bab el-Mandeb would also hand Iran an additional point of leverage by constraining oil and other cargo flows through the region’s second major trade passage.
Strikes on Saudi Arabia and international reaction
The latest developments follow earlier Houthi attacks on energy facilities and urban targets in four Saudi cities that left more than 70 people injured. Several countries condemned the attack, including Pakistan, whose Foreign Ministry spokesperson also expressed support for Riyadh.
According to Sajjad Haider Khan, Pakistan “reaffirms its unwavering support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and prosperity of Saudi Arabia” and will continue backing efforts to promote lasting peace and stability in the region.
Tehran says it does not control the Houthis
Against the backdrop of renewed escalation, Pakistan relayed Saudi Arabia’s demand to Iran to use its influence over the Houthis and stop the attacks on the kingdom. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the message had been received but said that “Iran does not control the Houthis.”
At the same time, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref praised the victories of Yemen’s “heroic people.” According to the source, the Houthis entered the US-Iran war on Tehran’s side on March 28 by attacking Israel, later announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in July, and began a new wave of attacks in September.
Who the Houthis are
The Houthis, officially known as “Ansar Allah,” are a Zaydi revivalist and Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged in Yemen in the 1990s. The movement is made up largely of Zaydis, and its leadership is primarily drawn from the al-Houthi family. The group is backed by Iran and is considered part of the Iran-led “axis of resistance.”
The Houthis have been in conflict with Yemen’s government since 2014. A UN-brokered truce in 2022 significantly reduced the intensity of fighting, but a political settlement has still not been reached.
