Iran-backed terror group’s latest territorial grab threatens second global shipping chokepoint
Houthi Forces Seize Strategic Port City of Mocha, Escalate Threat to Global Trade Chokepoint
In a significant escalation of the conflict in Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi forces captured the historic port city of Mocha on Thursday and advanced toward positions overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical gateway for international shipping. The move has raised alarms about potential disruptions to global trade, particularly oil transport, as the strait becomes a focal point in the region’s widening tensions.
The Houthis’ rapid advance from Mocha to the Hanish Islands has pushed Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces to retreat southward toward Dhubab, a town situated directly across from the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb. Control of these areas would grant the Houthis a stronger foothold over the strait, which is only about 18 miles wide at its narrowest point and serves as a vital link between the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea, ultimately connecting to the Suez Canal. This development comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely constrained, putting pressure on key trade routes on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula.
Hisham Al-Omeisy, senior Yemen advisor at the European Institute of Peace, highlighted the geopolitical implications, stating, “Now you have Iran on one side of the Arabian Peninsula controlling Hormuz, and now the Houthis controlling Bab el-Mandeb on the other side of the peninsula. Which basically is going to drive prices — oil prices, goods and everything else — up exponentially.” The strait is a major artery for goods moving between Asia and Europe, and its importance has grown amid the Iran conflict.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, crude oil and petroleum liquids flowing through Bab el-Mandeb averaged 8.1 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026, up from 5.4 million barrels per day in late 2025. Meanwhile, flows through Hormuz plummeted from 21.6 million to just 4.9 million barrels per day during the same period. The increase at Bab el-Mandeb is partly attributed to Saudi Arabia rerouting crude through its East-West pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu to avoid Hormuz.
A senior U.S. administration official, speaking on background, emphasized the American focus on regional stability: “The United States is focused on protecting our core national security interests — such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea — while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges. We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen Government regarding regional stability.”
The seizure of Mocha also raises concerns about the military capabilities of the Houthis, who may inherit significant equipment from retreating government forces. Al-Omeisy noted that the loss of military materiel, including vehicles and drones, could strengthen Houthi operations on other fronts beyond the Red Sea coast.
Separately, Reuters reported that Iranian arms and direct guidance from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards facilitated the Houthi advance, citing Yemeni government, Iranian, and regional sources. Two Iranian sources told Reuters that Tehran had instructed the Houthis to intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia and promised additional funding, weapons, and senior officers. Iran has publicly denied directing Houthi operations.
The conflict has seen its most serious escalation since hostilities resumed in mid-July, according to the conflict-monitoring organization ACLED. Between September 3 and 7, at least 276 fatalities were recorded across multiple provinces, including al-Hudaydah and Taizz, as clashes spread along the Red Sea coast. Sherwan Hindreen Ali, ACLED’s Middle East research manager, explained that fighting is focused on fronts with direct strategic importance to Bab el-Mandeb, where both sides seek to deprive the other of control.
Saudi Arabia has deepened its involvement, launching at least 15 strikes against Houthi positions between September 3 and 7, primarily around Taizz—the highest number since military engagement resumed in July. In response, the Houthis launched what Ali described as their largest wave of direct attacks on Saudi territory since March 2022, targeting cities like Abha, Jizan, Najran, and Khamis Mushait with drones and ballistic missiles on September 8, injuring 73 people.
This escalation tests a new joint defense agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey, signed last month in Mecca, which stipulates that an attack on one member constitutes an attack on all. However, following the Houthi strikes, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan stated, “There is no such thing under discussion right now. When time comes [we] will act under the agreement.”
The Houthis have maintained that international navigation through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb remains safe, while reiterating their blockade on Saudi vessels. Al-Omeisy warned that reversing Houthi territorial gains could prove difficult, citing their ability to entrench quickly: “The Houthis are really good at capturing a position, they entrench really well. They send these massive reinforcements, and then it’s going to be extremely difficult to push them out of those areas.”
Oil markets have already felt the impact, with Brent crude jumping more than 5% to $106.60 per barrel by late Thursday morning, and U.S. crude climbing above $100 for the first time since May. The widening conflict underscores the fragile security landscape and the potential for further disruptions to global energy supplies and trade flows.