Houthis Make Major Advance Toward Critical Global Shipping Chokepoint

Iran-backed Houthi forces seized a critical Yemeni port and are closing in on one of the world’s most important shipping chokepoints as the Iran War continues to batter global energy routes.

The Houthis seized the historic port city of Mocha and pushed farther south along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Reuters reported, citing Yemeni government military sources. The advance threatens to place another major oil shipping route under severe pressure while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily restricted by the ongoing Iran War.

Houthi forces have also advanced onto the strategic Hanish Islands in the Red Sea, while Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and their allies have withdrawn farther south toward Dhubab, Reuters reported, citing Yemeni government sources.

Dhubab sits directly along the Bab el-Mandeb opposite Perim Island, and control of both positions is critical to exerting control over the strait.

The Bab el-Mandeb, which separates Yemen from Djibouti and Eritrea, is only about 18 miles wide at its narrowest point and serves as the southern gateway to the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

Roughly 8.1 million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum liquids passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait during the second quarter of 2026, equivalent to about 8% of global oil supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

A sustained disruption would force vessels traveling between Asia and Europe to sail around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks and significant costs to voyages.

The threat is particularly acute for Saudi Arabia, which has increasingly relied on its Red Sea coast to move oil while the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted by the Iran War. Saudi crude and condensate loadings from the Red Sea port of Yanbu climbed to an estimated 3.7 million barrels per day in September, Reuters reported, citing Vortexa, an energy and shipping analytics firm.

The Houthis declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in July and have subsequently stepped up attacks against the kingdom. Houthi attacks had already begun forcing tankers to reconsider transiting Bab el-Mandeb after the group resumed attacks on Red Sea shipping during the Iran War.