Yemeni Houthi Rebels Secure Key Red Sea Positions, Advancing Near the Strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait
SANAA : The Houthis also have become more dominant in the area around the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the port city of Mokha, on the Red Sea coast, which is crucial to Yemen’s trade with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf of Aden. Pro-government forces reportedly pulled back from strategic posts in the area after heavy multi-day fighting.After days of heavy fighting, pro-government forces reportedly retreated from strategic positions in the area.
The military progress has put Houthis closer to the strategic marine choke point, adding to worries over security in the region. Sources said the Houthis’ forces advanced strategically across the Taiz province, which is in the west of Yemen, taking control of key infrastructure centers, surrounding high grounds and coastal roads.
The seizure of Mokha, an ancient Red Sea port that was once used by forces loyal to the government, gives the group a major boost in tactical leverage in important maritime shipping routes. The developments are noted to bring the movement close to the Red Sea-Gulf of Aden gateway in the South.
In response to the rising tensions in the emergency UN Security Council discussions, diplomatic missions have cautioned that the conflict in Yemen is likely to further contribute to the broader regional chaos, potentially affecting neighboring nations and the security of oil transit routes.
The Bab el-Mandeb strait remains one of the most important maritime chokeppoints in the world, through which a significant portion of international trade passes, including global crude oil, fuel and commodity shipments traversing the Suez Canal to—from—the Mediterranean Ocean and Indian Ocean.
Fears of a wider regional crisis have been greatly heightened by the advance of the coastal forces as well as the continued cross-border air raids and military retalliation.