Houthi capture of Red Sea coast threatens Saudi oil exports via Bab al-Mandeb

September 11, 2026 at 07:47 PM1 min

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Houthi forces have seized the entire Yemeni Red Sea coastline, reaching the Bab al-Mandeb shipping gateway. The advance threatens Saudi Arabia's oil exports, which increasingly rely on the strait after Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Key Facts

Houthi forces captured the port city of Mocha on Thursday, completing their control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline.
The Houthis declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacking Saudi-linked ships in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Roughly 12 percent of global trade passes through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait daily.
Saudi Arabia entered the Yemen war in 2015 to restore the internationally recognised government and counter Iran's influence.

Houthi Coastal Offensive

Houthi forces captured the whole of Yemen's Red Sea coastline, reaching the Bab al-Mandeb shipping gateway, as their rapid offensive continued on Friday. On Thursday, the Houthis seized the port city of Mocha, dealing a heavy blow to the Yemeni government backed by Saudi Arabia. Analysts are calling the Iran-backed group's victories the most significant regional development since the US and Israel declared war on Iran in February. The offensives could be particularly damaging for Saudi Arabia and its oil exports.

Strategic Waterway Control

The Houthis, who declared a blockade of Saudi-flagged ships in the Red Sea earlier in the year, now have much firmer control of the Bab al-Mandeb waterway. Riyadh increasingly relies on the Bab al-Mandeb for oil exports following blockades of the Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf, experts say. The narrow strait is one of the world's most important shipping lanes connecting the Suez Canal and Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Roughly 12 percent of global trade passes through daily, and even more vessels have used it since Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.