Arabian Post Staff -Dubai
The advance followed the withdrawal of forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government and came a day after the Houthis captured the port city of Mocha. Houthi fighters also took the Hanish Islands farther north, extending their hold over the Yemeni side of the southern Red Sea and placing them in a stronger position to threaten vessels entering or leaving the waterway.
The gains do not amount to internationally recognised control of the entire strait, which separates Yemen from Djibouti and Eritrea and contains international shipping lanes. They nevertheless give the Houthis commanding positions around the narrow passage and sharply increase their ability to disrupt traffic. Perim, also known as Mayyun, lies inside the strait and divides its two navigable channels.
Yemen’s government said it was preparing a counter-offensive and moving additional forces towards the western coast. Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, has warned that developments around Mocha and Bab al-Mandab affect international trade as well as Yemen, while government commanders have said forces are regrouping after withdrawals from coastal positions.
The Houthi-led authorities in Sanaa have said international navigation through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab remains safe and uninterrupted. The group, however, has maintained a declared ban on Saudi shipping, raising concern that control of coastal territory could be used to enforce that threat more effectively.
The strategic impact is magnified by severe disruption at the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran-US war. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers have relied more heavily on Red Sea export routes as traffic through Hormuz has fallen, making Bab al-Mandab increasingly important to global energy supplies.
US Energy Information Administration data show that an average 8.1 million barrels a day of crude oil and petroleum liquids passed through Bab al-Mandab during the second quarter of 2026, up from 5.4 million barrels a day in the final quarter of 2025. The increase reflected the diversion of Saudi crude through the East-West pipeline to Yanbu on the Red Sea.
The strait is about 29 kilometres wide at its narrowest point. Ships travelling between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal normally pass through Bab al-Mandab, meaning serious disruption can force vessels around the Cape of Good Hope. That diversion adds time, fuel costs and pressure on freight and insurance rates.
Oil markets were already reacting to the broader regional conflict. Brent crude traded above $100 a barrel this week as investors weighed constrained Middle East supply, risks to the Red Sea route and the continuing weakness of tanker traffic through Hormuz. Energy markets have become especially sensitive to any sign that both major maritime exits from the Gulf region could face simultaneous disruption.
The Houthis have previously demonstrated an ability to alter global shipping patterns without physically closing Bab al-Mandab. Attacks on commercial vessels beginning in late 2023 prompted major container lines and tanker operators to avoid the Red Sea for extended periods, pushing more traffic around southern Africa.
Their latest territorial advance gives the group a more direct land presence beside the strait. Dhubab sits on the Yemeni shore of Bab al-Mandab, while Perim occupies the centre of the passage. Control of those positions can improve surveillance of vessel movements and expand the range of weapons that could be used against shipping, although there was no verified announcement of a general closure of the waterway on Friday.
Saudi Arabia has carried out air strikes against Houthi-held positions as fighting has escalated, including strikes around Mocha. Riyadh has said it will defend its territory and interests while supporting diplomatic efforts to contain the confrontation.
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