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onto the strategic Hanish Islands in the Red Sea, while Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and their allies have withdrawn farther south toward Dhubab, Reuters reported, citing Yemeni government sources.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

At least seven vessels had changed course to avoid Bab el-Mandeb following the Houthi blockade in July, according to an X post from the Institute for the Study of War. Other tankers were reportedly diverting toward the Suez Canal or holding position while awaiting instructions, Reuters reported, citing ship broker Clarksons.

The Houthis have survived previous attempts by the U.S. military to destroy their ability to threaten Red Sea shipping. The Pentagon conducted more than 1,000 strikes against Houthi targets during the Trump administration’s 2025 campaign before an Oman-brokered agreement ended the operation in May, according to the Pentagon.

The Houthi rebels attacked U.S. warships over 170 times and commercial vessels 145 times between 2023 and 2025, former Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said during a press conference on March 17, 2025. The U.S. military launched precision airstrikes that aimed to decapitate the leadership of the rebel group on March 15, Parnell said.

The renewed Houthi advance now threatens the same waterway from land at a time when alternative Gulf shipping routes are already under extraordinary strain.

Brent crude futures traded above $105 per barrel Thursday as fears of further Middle East supply disruptions continued to pressure energy markets, according to Intercontinental Exchange.

Saudi Arabia has sought to prevent the confrontation from widening further, asking Pakistan to deliver a warning to Tehran to rein in the Houthis, Reuters reported, citing Saudi, Pakistani and Iranian sources.

Iran responded that it does not control the Houthis, but two Iranian sources told Reuters that Tehran had recently directed the group to attack Saudi Arabia while promising additional funding and weapons.