Saudi Arabia And Houthis Trade Strikes As Fighting Intensifies Around Bab Al-Mandeb.
Fighting around the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait has intensified as Houthi forces and Yemen’s internationally recognised government exchange strikes along the country’s Red Sea coast.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have made major territorial gains along Yemen’s western coastline in recent days. They seized the port city of Mocha on Thursday and took control of Mayun Island, also known as Perim, on Friday. The island sits in the middle of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and gives the group an important strategic position overlooking the vital maritime route.
The Bab al-Mandeb is one of the world's most important shipping chokepoints. It connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides access to the Suez Canal. Control of the area has become even more significant after disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz forced more energy shipments towards alternative routes through the Red Sea.
Houthi forces have said that ordinary shipping through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb will remain safe, but they have threatened vessels linked to Saudi Arabia as part of what they describe as a strategy of escalation against Riyadh. Analysts have warned, however, that the group’s growing territorial control could give it the ability to severely disrupt maritime traffic if it chooses to do so.
Saudi Arabia is facing increasing pressure as the conflict spreads. The country temporarily closed its East-West oil pipeline, a major 1,200-kilometre route across the Arabian Peninsula, following a drone attack on Friday. The attack was reportedly launched from Iraq, although no group has claimed responsibility.
The latest fighting is also worsening the humanitarian situation in Yemen. The United Nations said nearly 46,000 people had been displaced in the country since fighting intensified earlier in the week, while aid agencies have faced increasing difficulties reaching people in areas affected by the Houthi advance.
The developments have increased pressure on the United States and its regional allies. US Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla is in Saudi Arabia for talks following the Houthi advances. US President Donald Trump has indicated that Washington is not currently planning direct military action against the Houthis, despite requests from Saudi Arabia for US air strikes.
Meanwhile, the wider regional conflict continues to threaten commercial shipping. Al Jazeera reported on Sunday that an Iranian commercial vessel was attacked near Qeshm Island, killing one person and injuring three others. The simultaneous escalation around the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz has heightened fears that disruptions could spread across two of the region’s most important maritime routes.
With the Houthis now holding positions around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, concerns are growing that the conflict could have consequences far beyond Yemen. Any prolonged disruption to the waterway could affect international shipping schedules, energy markets and the cost of transporting goods between Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
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