Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen captured the Red Sea port of Mokha on Thursday and the strategic island of Mayun, also known as Perim, on Friday, according to two officials. The swift advance brings their forces to the heart of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key choke point for global commerce leading out of the Red Sea.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait serves as a vital commercial lane connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and beyond. The strait had previously functioned as an important route for crude oil supplies from Saudi Arabia to Asia, particularly after shipping through the Strait of Hormuz faced restrictions due to threats of Iranian attack. That alternative route provided a safety valve for global energy markets until Houthi targeting of Saudi tankers largely ended that flow.
The Houthi advance is drawing renewed attention to shipping risks in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Despite the group's efforts to reassure shipowners that vessels not covered by their embargo on Saudi-linked shipping remain safe, the territorial gains have raised concerns about the security of one of the world's key commercial lanes.