Houthi rebels are plotting to seize the Bab al-Mandab coast, which would allow the group to further threaten the vital shipping artery, a Yemeni minister has warned.
“The Houthi militia… is working to create the conditions for seizing control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait by expanding its presence along the western coast and attempting to control strategic Yemeni islands in the Red Sea,” Yemen’s information minister, Moammar al-Eryani, told French media.
If successful, this would give the Houthis greater control over one of the world’s busiest international shipping lanes. Through the Iran-backed rebels, who have attacked vessels in the area since the Gaza war started in 2023, Tehran would cement its hold of the second significant Middle East maritime chokepoint, after Hormuz. Oil exports from Saudi Arabia would also be restricted under Houthi control.
A Houthi push toward Bab al-Mandab would significantly raise the strategic stakes in Yemen by threatening more direct control over a chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Combined with Iran’s pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, greater Houthi control could give Tehran and its allies leverage over two critical arteries for global energy and maritime trade. The key indicators to watch are Houthi troop movements south of Hodeida, attacks around Mokha and nearby islands, and whether Saudi Arabia or other regional powers reinforce Yemeni government forces to prevent an advance toward the strait.
