Red Sea nations watch as Houthis seize Bab al-Mandeb strait

What the report says

Houthi forces have expanded their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, taking the port city of Mocha and the island of Mayyun over the weekend, according to Al Jazeera. The developments leave the group positioned near the African shore and effectively in control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a narrow passage linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that is vital for global shipping.

Al Jazeera reported that the immediate regional impact is already being felt. The International Organisation for Migration said more than 2,000 people fled from Yemen to Djibouti in the past 24 hours, adding pressure on the small port city of Obock, where aid groups are providing food and water. The article also noted that shipping companies are reacting cautiously, with many vessels still avoiding the route and taking the longer path around the Cape of Good Hope.

The report highlights broader economic and security consequences. Bab al-Mandeb is a major corridor for international trade and energy transport, and disruptions there have already reduced Red Sea traffic in past periods of Houthi attacks. Egypt, which depends heavily on Suez Canal revenues, was said to have suffered major losses when shipping diverted away from the canal. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera also warned that shifting naval attention to the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz may be leaving gaps elsewhere, including off the Horn of Africa, where piracy can resurface.

The article places the latest advance in the context of the wider Yemen war and the Red Sea crisis, while noting that Houthi and Iranian officials deny any threat to navigation.