Houthi forces, aligned with Iran, have seized the strategic Yemeni port city of Mocha, moving closer to gaining control over the western coast and increasing their influence over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important sea routes.
This development marks a major escalation in the Yemen conflict and comes as the broader Middle East crisis continues to disrupt global energy supplies.
Four Yemeni government military sources told Reuters that the Houthis were closing in on full control of coastal towns, including Mocha and Dhubab, which lie directly across the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The advance comes amid intensifying fighting between the Iranian-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed forces supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. It is a critical route for ships traveling between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.
Reuters estimates that about 7 percent of the world’s oil supply passes through the waterway, making any prolonged disruption potentially significant for international energy markets.
The Houthi advance is particularly worrying because shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has already been severely disrupted by the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran.
Ship traffic through Hormuz fell to just seven ships on Wednesday, compared with a 10-day average of 14, according to preliminary ship tracking data cited by Reuters. That day no liquefied natural gas tanker crossed the waterway.
The Houthis have previously attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea, forcing many shipping companies to divert vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding significant time and costs to international trade.
The latest fighting therefore creates the prospect of pressure being brought to bear on two major maritime chokepoints at the same time.
Oil markets have already reacted to the worsening security situation. Brent crude has moved above $100 a barrel, and traders are increasingly concerned that disruptions in the Middle East could tighten global supply.
The Houthis’ expansion also threatens Saudi Arabia, which relies heavily on Red Sea infrastructure to transport oil and other raw materials. Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes against Houthi positions as fighting intensifies.
The escalation comes despite a fragile ceasefire that has largely prevented Yemen from returning to the full-scale war seen before 2022.
However, renewed fighting now risks turning Yemen into another major front in the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and their regional allies.
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