Houthis Tighten Grip On Yemen’s Red Sea Coast: What It Means

Houthi forces have expanded their control along Yemen's Red Sea coast after seizing the port city of Mokha and advancing towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as per Houthi-controlled SABA news media reports.

The Houthis had seized Mokha, a key port city overlooking tanker routes out of the Red Sea, the advance followed the Houthis' capture of Mayun, a small volcanic island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait also known as Perim, about 3.5 kilometres off Yemen's west coast. The island's capture was confirmed by a senior military official with Yemen's internationally recognised government and by a Houthi official, according to AFP.

Saudi Strikes Reported

On Friday, Saudi airstrikes hit Mokha airport after the Houthis seized the city. There was no immediate report of damage or deaths.

Earlier on Thursday, Saudi aircraft carried out around 40 strikes across the governorates of Taiz, Hodeidah, Al-Jawf and Marib. Houthi-controlled.

Bab el-Mandeb Shipping Risks

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait has gained importance for shipping as attacks and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have affected regional trade routes. Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb had fallen by about 60 per cent since the Houthis began attacking some ships there in late 2023, and shipping increased this year before renewed Houthi threats curtailed that activity, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence.

Hazam al-Assad, a member of the Houthis' political bureau said that there was "no need for international concern," saying the group was responding to Saudi aggression and that "our forces have a bank of big important targets" if Riyadh keeps up the strikes.

Saudi Crown Prince Urged Trump To Strike

The developments came as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged US President Donald Trump to launch strikes against the Houthis in two phone calls on Thursday, according to Axios, citing two US officials. Trump declined, according to the report, while US officials stressed the administration has no plans to intervene directly against the Houthis for now.

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, travelled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination meetings, according to Axios.

Iran And Humanitarian Reaction

Iran's Foreign Ministry called for an end to Saudi Arabia's blockade of Yemen and urged a return to negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis.

The surge in fighting over the past week has sent more than 46,000 people fleeing, according to the UN migration agency. The escalating fighting threatens to end a fragile truce that had largely halted Yemen's civil war since 2022.

The Houthis' advance has brought them closer to one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, raising the risk of renewed disruption to shipping and a wider regional escalation. It also threatens to reopen Yemen's wider war, which had largely been contained since 2022.