Yemen Warns Houthis Seek Foothold Near Strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Yemen on Wednesday warned that the Iran-backed Houthis are preparing to seize territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a move that could give the group greater control over one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes.

Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani told AFP that the Houthis were working to create conditions for controlling the strait by expanding their presence along the country’s western coast and seeking control of strategic islands in the Red Sea.

Three Houthi military sources and a spokesman for Yemen’s government-affiliated forces operating near the waterway also told AFP that the group was preparing to advance toward areas close to Bab al-Mandab.

“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,” Eryani said.

He accused the Houthis of building up their military presence in the area and pointed to what he described as repeated attacks on ports, docks, civilian infrastructure, ships and government naval capabilities as evidence of their plans.

The Houthis do not currently control territory directly on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, but they hold the strategic port city of Hodeida farther north and have repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea since the Gaza war began in 2023.

Houthi forces mass along western coast

In recent weeks, the Houthis have carried out some of their deadliest attacks in years against forces affiliated with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, according to the officials cited by AFP.

The group has also begun targeting the port city of Mokha, which lies near Bab al-Mandab, as well as military positions around the strait and government-controlled islands in the Red Sea.

Major-General Sadeq Duwaid, a spokesman for the government-affiliated National Resistance Forces, which control areas bordering the strait, said the Houthis were seeking to establish a foothold in the strategic waterway.

“Through their continued attacks on Mokha and its port, the Houthi militia seeks to establish a presence along the shores of the Bab al-Mandab Strait and transform the area into a situation resembling that of the Strait of Hormuz,” Duwaid told AFP.

Three Houthi military sources told AFP that the group was preparing an operation to seize areas south of Hodeida.

They said approximately 2,000 Houthi fighters had been deployed to front lines along Yemen’s western coast in the provinces of Taiz and Hodeida, alongside rocket launchers.

Threat to global shipping and oil exports

A successful Houthi advance toward Bab al-Mandab could significantly increase the group’s ability to disrupt maritime traffic through the waterway, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a crucial route for international trade and energy shipments.

The Houthis have disrupted shipping through the Red Sea with repeated attacks on commercial vessels, prompting many shipping companies to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope and adding significant time and costs to global trade.

Greater Houthi control of Bab al-Mandab could also threaten Saudi Arabia’s oil exports, particularly after the group announced a maritime blockade targeting the kingdom.

The potential seizure of territory around Bab al-Mandab would further expand the influence of Iran and its regional allies over strategic waterways. It would come after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz during its ongoing war with the United States, creating additional pressure on global energy and shipping markets.

Bab al-Mandab is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, making any expansion of Houthi control around the strait a potentially significant development for regional security, energy supplies, and international shipping.