Houthi forces in Yemen’s capital Sana’a, September 10, 2026 (Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty)
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Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have taken control of the country’s Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The group has held much of Yemen including the capital Sana’a since 2014, and have battled Saudi-backed Government forces over the rest.
In recent days, they made significant advances including the capture of the Red Sea port city of Mokha. On Friday they completed the capture of islands in the Strait, including the volcanic Mayyun Island, also known as Perim, in the middle of the waterway.
Saudi Arabia carried out air raids on Houthi positions in Mocha on Friday. However, the Trump Administration reportedly declined any direct involvement despite two phone calls from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Donald Trump.
About 12% of the world’s goods are shipped through the Strait. The Houthis said on Friday that they would ensure security of passage for all vessels except those connected to Saudi Arabia.
Last month the group announced a blockade of Saudi ports, in response to Saudi Arabia’s closing of Yemeni airspace.
Saudi Arabia said on Friday that it has shut down its East-West oil pipeline as “a precautionary measure”, after an attack on several drones that came from Iraq. The Kingdom said it would not respond to the attack to give the Iraqi Government “an opportunity to take the necessary measures” against Iranian-backed militias.
The Petroline runs for 1,201 km (746 miles) from the Abqaiq oilfield in the Saudi east near Bahrain and Qatar, to the port city Yanbu on the Red Sea.
The UN said on Friday that the latest fighting between the Houthis and Government forces had killed more than 500 people and displaced about 46,000.
