The Strait of Hormuz has long been the world’s most closely watched oil chokepoint. Now, attention is shifting to another critical maritime route as Iran-backed Houthi forces expand their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, capturing the port city of Mocha and advancing onto Perim Island at the entrance to the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
According to AP, the government would fight back, but forces withdrew and urged citizens to flee.
Sultan al-Arada, a member of the ruling presidential council, described the situation as “painful and regrettable”.
The Houthis have made huge gains by capturing a key port city and an island on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.
Control over one more crucial strait gives an advantage to Iran by controlling over two major shipping routes.
This situation puts pressure on the United States and Saudi Arabia. Bab al-Mandeb was Riyadh’s option following the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.
Houthi rebels used drones and missiles to attack a military base in Saudi Arabia on September 13. The attacks continued and have now targeted structures and ports.
Saudi Arabia has also shut down the East-West pipeline on Friday as a precaution due to missile attacks.
The overland alternative was another approach to oil trade for Saudi Arabia is also blocked.
Saudi authorities traced the launch site to Maysan province in southeast Iraq near the Iranian border, Al Jazeera reports.
“Iraq adopts the principle of ‘preventive sovereignty’, which means not only preventing attacks on our territory, but also not allowing our land to be a launching pad against any other country, or for Iraq to be part of a proxy war,” Lieutenant General Saad Maan, Iraq’s Security Media Cell head told INA.
“The Houthis don’t need to use advanced weapons to close Bab al-Mandeb. They can just use a cannon on a car,” said Amr Al-Bidh, an official of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council told CNN.
Houthis are known for using mobile and cheap weapons since they began threatening Red Sea shipping years back, he added.
Operation Prosperity Guardian was a naval coalition that patrolled the Red Sea from December 2023 to May 2025 to protect commercial ships from Houthi attacks.
The Houthi attacks on the ships were a show of solidarity with Palestine in the Israel-Palestine war. The campaign was supported by countries including the US, UK, Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.
Iran will meet with other Gulf states in Oman on Monday for regional security discussions. “Iran remains committed to ensuring the security of navigation in the strait,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei.
The capture of a new chokepoint and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia do not align with the statement. It can be interpreted as a diplomatic message rather than a policy decision.
Whether the talks on Monday will match Iran’s stated commitment remain unknown. Until then, Saudi Arabia is left struggling to manage two blocked routes over which it has no control.
