Yemen's Houthis seize Mocha, advance toward Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Yemen's Houthi forces have seized the port city of Mocha, a development that increases their control over the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The advance has heightened concerns about a potential return to large-scale warfare in the region, as the Iran-backed group pushes to secure control of the Red Sea coast. The Houthis have also been attacking Red Sea islands as they consolidate their position. Three Yemeni government sources told Reuters on September 10, 2026, that the Iran-backed group was closing the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The strait, named the 'Gate of Tears', is 18 miles wide at its narrowest point and lies between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African coast. It is a crucial maritime chokepoint for global seaborne commodity and goods shipments, particularly from Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal, and is vital for commodities bound for Asia, including Russian oil. Disruption of shipping in the strait forces vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding significant costs and time to journeys. In late 2023, Houthis launched attacks on shipping in the southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, leading major shipping firms and oil companies to reroute vessels. Total petroleum volumes transiting Bab el-Mandeb amounted to about 7% of global oil output in June, according to Kpler data. Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam stated on Thursday that navigation and international trade in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab remained safe and regular, adding that Houthi operations were defensive and limited to previously announced targets, and would end once attacks on Yemen stopped and a blockade was lifted.