Houthis seize Yemen's Red Sea coast and Bab al-Mandeb strait

September 13, 2026 at 08:00 PM2 min

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Houthi forces have captured Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline, including the port of Mocha and the island of Mayyun, placing them 20 km from the African coast and in control of the Bab al-Mandeb strait. More than 2,000 people fled Yemen to Djibouti in the past 24 hours, the International Organisation for Migration said. The strait handles about 12 percent of global trade, including 11 percent of maritime oil and 8 percent of LNG.

Key Facts

Houthi forces captured the port city of Mocha and the island of Mayyun over the weekend, completing their takeover of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline.
Houthi forces are now positioned 20 kilometres from the African coast and control the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
More than 2,000 people fled Yemen to Djibouti in the past 24 hours, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
Bab al-Mandeb handles roughly 12 percent of global trade, including 11 percent of maritime oil and 8 percent of liquefied natural gas.
Shipping volume and tonnage through the Red Sea dropped between 50 and 55 percent from 2023 to 2025, according to IMF PortWatch data.

Territorial Gains

The Houthis completed their takeover of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline over the weekend, capturing the port city of Mocha and overrunning the island of Mayyun. Houthi forces are now positioned just 20 kilometres from the African coast and essentially control the strategically significant Bab al-Mandeb strait. Houthi politburo member Hazem al-Assad insisted that freedom of navigation and international trade in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb are safe and orderly.

Maritime Chokepoint

Bab al-Mandeb handles roughly 12 percent of global trade, including 11 percent of maritime oil and 8 percent of liquefied natural gas. Maritime security expert Alexandru Cristian Hudisteanu told Al Jazeera that the Bab al-Mandeb strait is narrower than the Strait of Hormuz. Data from IMF PortWatch indicates a drop of between 50 percent and 55 percent in shipping volume and tonnage through the Red Sea between 2023 and 2025. Major shipping operators continue to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding more than 20 transit days and driving up global freight costs.

Humanitarian Impact

More than 2,000 people have fled Yemen to Djibouti over the past 24 hours, the International Organisation for Migration said on Sunday. Yemenis arriving in Obock, a Djibouti city only about 20 km from Yemen's coast, are being provided with food and water, but the IOM warned that more support is needed.