Houthi Forces Seize Control of Strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait After 18-Hour Coastal Blitz
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Dhivyanshu
- . September 12, 2026
- . Update: September 12, 2026 6:17 pm
Yemen’s Houthi movement has completed one of its biggest territorial gains in years. In just 18 hours, the group swept across the last stretch of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, putting the entire coast, and one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, under its control.
The 18-Hour Sweep
The offensive began on Thursday when Houthi forces captured the historic port city of Mokha, a town famous for giving its name to the mocha coffee bean, from Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The same day, Houthi fighters seized Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea, using rocket attacks and a ground assault carried out with boats full of fighters.
By Friday, the advance had reached the strait itself. Boats carrying armed Houthi fighters landed on Mayyun Island, also known as Perim, after government forces withdrew from it. The rocky volcanic island sits in the middle of the narrowest point of Bab el-Mandeb, dividing it into two shipping channels. An official said the Houthis had completed their takeover of the Bab el-Mandeb area and the island itself. Further reports on Friday confirmed the group had also captured the town of Dhubab and the coastal village of Murad. Together, that meant all of Yemen’s Red Sea coast had fallen under Houthi control in under a day.
What This Island Actually Controls
Perim Island’s location gives this advance real weight. The roughly 13-square-kilometre island sits in the middle of the strait, and holding it lets the Houthis watch shipping traffic far more closely than missiles and drones alone ever allowed. Some analysts warn a permanent Houthi presence there could even open the door to mining the waterway, a scenario that could force a major international naval response.
Still, experts caution against reading this as total control. Even holding Mokha, Dhubab, and Perim would not give the Houthis sovereign control of the entire strait, since the opposite shore, on the African side, remains outside Yemen entirely. What it does give them is a dramatically stronger ability to contest, threaten, or deny commercial use of the waterway.
Why This Route Matters So Much
Bab el-Mandeb links Asia to Europe through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Combined with the Strait of Hormuz, it carries about a quarter of the world’s daily petroleum and crude shipments and close to a third of all global maritime trade. Saudi Arabia has leaned on this Red Sea route more heavily this year, using it as a workaround after Iran began striking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthi advance now threatens to complicate that alternative too.
A Warning From The Houthis
In a statement issued Friday, Houthi armed forces described sweeping gains along the coast, claiming nine enemy aircraft shot down and hundreds of opposing troops killed, captured, or wounded during the advance. The group said maritime navigation remains safe for all companies “except for Saudi vessels,” and vowed further escalation against Saudi Arabia until what it called the blockade on Yemen is lifted.
The Response Taking Shape
The scale of the advance has already triggered alarm in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince has reportedly urged Washington to take direct military action against the Houthis, a request the US has so far declined. American forces are instead helping Saudi Arabia develop and coordinate targeting information inside Yemen. Government troops loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised administration remain besieged on the nearby Hanish islands, the last significant holdout along that stretch of coast.
What Comes Next
For now, the Houthis control more of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline than they have at any point in years. Whether that translates into actual disruption of shipping through Bab el-Mandeb, or draws in a wider international response, will likely become clear within days. Either way, a waterway that carries a quarter of the world’s oil now sits closer to the edge of conflict than it has in a long time.
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