The Houthis have managed to capture the entire Yemeni coastline along the Red Sea

The Houthis, the Yemeni militia armed by the Iranian regime, have seized the entire Yemeni coastline along the Red Sea, including the ports and islands that control Bab el Mandeb, one of the most important straits for global trade.

According to diplomatic sources cited by Reuters, the militia had mustered 100,000 fighters without the Saudis realising it, and within a few days had captured three strategic positions: on 10 September, Mokha fell – the port city just north of Bab el Mandeb, where forces of the Yemeni government, recognised by the international community, were still present. The following day, it was the turn of Perim, the small island situated at the heart of the strait which ‘divides’ it into two channels, and then, on 14 September, the two islands of Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish, further north of Perim in the Red Sea.

Following the breakthrough on the west coast, the government, with the support of Saudi air strikes, is reportedly preparing a counter-offensive and has already struck Houthi positions in Mokha, whilst the Houthis’ advance is now concentrated on two fronts. The first is Taiz, a city that has been contested for years and acts as a hub between the Houthi-controlled north and the south, which remains in government hands. Capturing it would allow the militia to push towards Aden, the provisional capital of the government forces. The second is Marib, the economic and political heart of the government in the north, home to vital oil and gas fields, where, however, government forces are also supported by local tribes. The city has been a Houthi target for a decade, and the rebel militia had already attempted to capture it between 2021 and 2022, without success.

Finally, with regard to traffic in the Bab el Mandeb Strait, no major new disruptions have been reported: according to Kpler, 23 ships passed through on Thursday, compared with an average of 26 over the previous ten days. The Houthis maintain that navigation remains safe for all vessels except Saudi ones.