ADEN — The Iran-backed Houthi movement seized full control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline on Friday, successfully concluding a lightning offensive that has handed the militants dominance over one of the world’s most critical maritime shipping corridors.
The fall of the western coast, including the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait and the islands of Mayyun, Greater Hanish, and Lesser Hanish, marks a major turning point in the Yemeni civil war. Government officials confirmed the total collapse of their defensive lines in the region, noting that the Houthi advance has effectively severed the vital link between Europe and Asia.
“Everything that was under our control on the western coast has fallen,” a demoralized government military official stated. Witnesses on the ground reported Houthi gunmen patrolling the Bab al-Mandab shoreline in military vehicles, solidifying a grip on the gateway to the Suez Canal.
The strategic consequences of the operation are immediate and global. The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a primary artery for international commerce and a lifeline for Saudi Arabia. Following a prolonged Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Riyadh had increasingly relied on the Red Sea to export its oil. However, the Houthi takeover—combined with a series of coordinated attacks that forced the emergency closure of the East-West pipeline on Thursday—has left the Kingdom’s export infrastructure severely compromised.
Oil prices responded sharply, soaring past $100 a barrel on Friday, while average US diesel prices surpassed $6 per gallon for the first time. The economic fallout presents an urgent challenge for the White House as the US midterm elections approach.
The human cost of the week-long offensive has been staggering. Sources on both sides report that more than 500 people have been killed, while the United Nations migration agency estimates that 46,000 residents have been displaced. Those fleeing the fighting describe an “apocalyptic” scene in the historic port city of Mocha, which fell to the militants just one day before the final islands were captured.
Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was quick to celebrate the “resounding victory.” Conversely, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree issued a statement declaring that navigation through the strait would remain “safe” for all nations—with the notable exclusion of Saudi Arabia.
As the conflict intensifies, the internationally recognized government, operating out of Aden, has launched retaliatory airstrikes and deployed reinforcements to the Taiz-Mocha region. However, military analysts suggest these efforts have done little to stall the Houthi momentum.
With the Houthi flag now flying over the islands and ports that govern the southern Red Sea, the region faces the grim prospect of a rekindled civil war. The collapse of the western front threatens to reignite a humanitarian crisis already considered one of the worst in modern history, as world powers scramble to assess the implications of a blocked Red Sea.
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