Overview
- The Houthis captured the Red Sea port of Mokha and nearby islands including Mayyun/Perim this week, consolidating positions on the Yemeni side of the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait and expanding their control along the western coast.
- Saudi forces launched airstrikes on Mokha airport after the Houthi entry, and Yemeni government troops withdrew toward Dhubab opposite Perim as fighting caused hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of people to flee.
- The United States has offered intelligence and targeting support to partners but has not launched direct strikes against Houthi positions, while Riyadh has urged Washington to act and Pakistan has warned Iran to restrain the group without planning immediate military intervention.
- Maritime traffic through the Bab al‑Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply, major shippers are rerouting around Africa, and crude oil prices and fuel costs have risen above $100 a barrel and record diesel prices in the US.
- Analysts warn the takeover strengthens Iran‑aligned leverage over a second global chokepoint, raises the risk of regional escalation, and deepens Yemen’s humanitarian crisis after a fragile truce that began in 2022.