Houthi forces seize Yemen's entire Red Sea coast and control Bab el-Mandeb strait

Houthi forces overran the remaining coastal defences of the Yemeni government this week, first seizing the port city of Mokha and then defeating Saudi-backed forces to gain control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline. By 12 September, they had taken Mayyun Island, which placed both shores of the Bab el-Mandeb strait under their authority. The Bab el-Mandeb strait ranks among the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, handling substantial oil and container traffic between Asia and Europe. A Houthi spokesperson characterised the operations as defensive and asserted that navigation remained safe, though Yemeni and Saudi officials disputed this claim.

The United Nations reported that approximately 80,000 people were displaced within a single week as fighting spread through the coastal cities of al-Khokha and Mokha. The International Organization for Migration warned that the humanitarian crisis was deteriorating by the hour. Families relocated toward Aden, where displaced persons are sheltering in temporary camps. A Yemeni official told the Washington Post that the territorial gains represented a turning point where Iran truly began winning the conflict, since Tehran-aligned forces now possessed leverage over a second major maritime chokepoint alongside the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia responded with airstrikes on Mokha and reportedly maintains approximately 100 American military advisers stationed in the kingdom who provide intelligence without engaging in direct combat. In a separate development, President Trump stated that Iran was probably responsible for a drone attack launched from Iraq that compelled Saudi Arabia to shut its East-West oil pipeline. Iraq announced it would conduct a joint investigation with Tehran, an action that intensified concerns regarding the security of global energy supply routes.