Three weeks after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis seized the port city of Mocha and key islands in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the rebels retain their grip on one of the world's most important shipping lanes, a second chokepoint now under the sway of Iran's axis while Tehran keeps the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed.
The Houthis launched a general offensive on Yemen's western coast on September 3, pressing from western Taiz, southern Hodeidah and toward Mocha. They seized Mocha on September 10, and on September 11 captured Mayun Island, also known as Perim, which splits the strait into two navigation channels, along with the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands.
The area had been held by the National Resistance Forces led by Tariq Saleh, nephew of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and a vice president of the Presidential Leadership Council. Saleh described the pullback as a "tactical withdrawal" to reorganize his forces. On September 13, the Yemeni military said government troops had recovered some territory near the strait.
Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi warned that Bab al-Mandeb "cannot become another Strait of Hormuz" and that "Yemen cannot become another Iran," calling for decisive international action.
The stakes are high. Bab al-Mandeb, about 29 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, has relied on the Red Sea route since the Iran war effectively closed Hormuz. According to maritime intelligence firm Kpler, oil transits through Bab al-Mandeb jumped to more than 7 million barrels per day in June as shipping shifted away from the Gulf.
Footage circulating online appears to show American-made military vehicles and equipment in Houthi hands, reportedly seized from government-aligned forces. JFeed could not independently verify the footage.
The Houthis have meanwhile stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting tankers, oil facilities, airports and even the capital, Riyadh. The pressure has pushed Riyadh toward a rapprochement with the United Arab Emirates, whose vice president, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, met Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday in the first face-to-face meeting between the two sides since their rift over Yemen.
