Houthis take control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, key shipping route 

The Houthis have taken control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast, according to reports.

The rebel group seized the last towns on the coast in a rapid advance against the forces of the internationally recognised Yemeni government early on Friday, and has pushed onto islands in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, government sources and witnesses reported.

The advance strengthens the control of the Iran-backed Houthis over the key shipping route of Bab al-Mandeb, which links the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea.

The route has been an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global energy shipments were carried before the war between the United States and Iran began earlier this year.

Houthi fighters reached the coastal town of Mocha at dawn on Thursday, then moved offshore to seize nearby islands, Al Jazeera’s Maha Ali reported from Taiz city.

Yemeni government sources told the Reuters news agency on Friday that Houthi fighters had reached the town of Dhubab, on the coast of Bab al-Mandeb.

Boats carrying fighters reached Mayyun Island – also known as Perim – that sits at the heart of the strait after government forces withdrew, government officials were reported to confirm.

“The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandeb area,” one source told the AFP news agency.

The Sanaa-based Yemen Press Agency, citing field sources, said Houthi forces seized the Al-Omari camp overlooking the strait.

Al Jazeera’s Nabil al-Yousefi, reporting from Sanaa, noted there has been no official announcement by the Houthi government confirming control over Bab al-Mandeb.

Leverage

Bab al-Mandeb is the southern gateway to the Red Sea and the approach to Saudi oil terminals, offering a route to ship crude to Europe while avoiding Hormuz. Traffic in the Red Sea decreased significantly during the earlier Houthi campaign that targeted shipping there.

“The Houthis have the strong hand now,” reported Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry from the capital, Sanaa. “They have the leverage and they have control of Bab al-Mandeb and the shipping traffic going through the Red Sea.”

As the Houthi advance was reported, the average price of diesel in the US surpassed $6 a gallon and oil prices on Friday were set to close above $100 a barrel for the first time since mid-May.

The International Energy Agency forecast on Friday that global oil supply and demand are likely to fall further this year than previously assumed, with the US-Iran war delaying normal Middle East flows into 2027.

Iran has successfully applied pressure on the US by choking Gulf exports through Hormuz, suppressing energy supplies and increasing prices worldwide.

A member of the Houthi politburo sought on Friday afternoon to allay fears, insisting that international shipping faces “no danger” from the group.

“Freedom of navigation and international trade in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab are safe and orderly,” Hazem al-Assad told the Al-Araby al-Jadeed news outlet. “There is no cause for international concern, as they face no danger from the Yemeni side.”

Escalation

Al Jazeera’s Mawry noted that there are few signs that Yemeni government forces are preparing a counteroffensive to push the Houthis back.

However, later reports from Houthi, Saudi and international outlets said Saudi air strikes had hit Mocha airport. There was no immediate report of casualties or damage. Al Jazeera was unable to immediately verify the reports.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement calling for an end to Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Yemen, and urging a resumption of negotiations. It was the first statement on Yemen issued by Tehran since the Houthi seizure of Mocha.

The Houthis, which control most of western Yemen, renewed attacks on Red Sea shipping and the Saudi-backed Yemen government earlier this year in response to the US war on their ally Iran. The flare-up of hostilities in Yemen illustrates the potential for that conflict to escalate across the region.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday spoke by phone with Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir – a key mediator but also close ally of Saudi Arabia – and separately with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Both calls reportedly focused on mutual coordination and regional stability.

The Financial Times reported on Friday that Oman, which has been negotiating with Iran on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, is organising a meeting with Gulf states to discuss the plan.