Yemen Government Warns Houthis Plot to Seize Bab al-Mandeb Strait

The Government of Yemen warned that Iranian-backed Houthi rebels are plotting to seize control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani stated the militia is expanding its presence along the western coast and targeting strategic islands to create the conditions necessary to capture the waterway.

This strategic push includes recent Houthi strikes on the government-controlled port of Mokha and the deployment of approximately 2,000 fighters and rocket launchers to front lines in the Taiz and Hodeida provinces. Government officials and military sources suggest the rebels aim to replicate the situation of the Strait of Hormuz to choke off Saudi Arabian oil exports and threaten global shipping, a goal supported by the rebels' announcement of a maritime blockade.

While the Houthis have denied seeking to charge ships for passage, they have recently upended a 2022 truce and increased attacks on government forces. Major General Sadeq Duwaid noted that the continued attacks on Mokha are intended to establish a presence along the shores of the strait.