News outlet Euronews reported that the Houthis are «moving to complete their control» of Bab el-Mandeb. Yemeni government sources said the group had seized the Red Sea port city of Mokha, while sources affiliated with the group reported control of Hays in the southern countryside of Hudaydah province, after government military formations withdrew.
Agence France-Presse quoted a Yemeni government military official as saying that the Houthis were «advancing towards Bab el-Mandeb» after taking Mokha, adding that the group’s fighters had entered the city.
The official also said that the Houthis had taken control of Yemen’s Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea. He said the assault began with ballistic missile launches, followed by a ground attack using boats carrying fighters.
Yemen Issues Growing Warnings
Yemen’s representative to the United Nations, Abdullah Al-Saadi, warned on Friday that the Houthi group was «continuing its military escalation and trying to impose a new reality in the Red Sea».
Speaking during an emergency UN Security Council session on Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, Al-Saadi said that «the Houthi militia is continuing its escalation and attempting to impose a new reality in the Red Sea», according to Anadolu Agency.
«The Houthi militia is threatening navigation in the Red Sea,» he said, warning of the risks posed by its control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Yemen’s representative called on the Security Council to «condemn the Houthis’ military escalation in Yemen» and urged it to «activate the arms embargo imposed on the Houthis».
He said the Yemeni government had «chosen peace over war and exercised restraint throughout these years», adding that it would continue to «fulfil its duty to protect its people and institutions».
Iran Signals Readiness to Engage
Iran said in a statement issued by its Foreign Ministry on Friday that it was ready to enter an immediate dialogue on developments in Yemen, based on the agreed roadmap.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said it remained committed to its principled and consistent position of respecting Yemen’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, alongside the need to end the blockade imposed on the country.
It added that «the developments currently unfolding in the region cannot be separated from the transformations the world has witnessed over more than a decade».
Tehran said that issues connected to Yemen could not be resolved through a continued blockade or a military approach, stressing that a solution must come through dialogue and mutual understanding.
The ministry concluded by reaffirming Iran’s readiness to enter an immediate dialogue based on the agreed roadmap and to provide all possible assistance to advance that process.
Bab el-Mandeb at the Center of the Escalation
The current escalation carries particular significance because of Yemen’s proximity to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic point for international shipping between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Several fronts in Taiz and Hudaydah governorates, near the strait, have seen intense clashes between government forces and the Houthis. Local media, citing military sources, reported dozens of deaths and injuries on both sides.
The Security of Red Sea Shipping
These developments have once again placed Yemen’s coastal areas at the center of the country’s military picture, particularly because of their connection to shipping security in the Red Sea and the surrounding sea lanes.
The Yemeni government believes that the Houthis’ push towards the strait is linked to a regional agenda aimed at influencing maritime traffic and controlling one of the world’s most important shipping corridors.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman, Rashad Al-Alimi, warned that any Houthi attempt to advance towards Bab el-Mandeb could lead to what he described as «a fierce war of attrition».
Yemen holds strategic importance for the security of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and Bab el-Mandeb, overlooking one of the key trade routes between Asia and Europe.
Yemen Calls for a Firm Position on the Houthis
The Yemeni government says that any regional system designed to protect shipping and combat piracy and smuggling requires active participation within the cooperation framework strengthened by the Djibouti Code of Conduct and its Jeddah Amendment.
In recent days, the Houthis advanced along the western coast. Media reports also said the group had taken control of the strategic Zuqar Island in the Red Sea near Bab el-Mandeb, although neither the group nor government forces issued official confirmation.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi had previously warned of the consequences of military movements near Bab el-Mandeb. Foreign Minister Afrah Al-Zouba called on the Security Council to adopt «a clear and firm position» on the Houthi escalation and its risks to Yemen, the region, and the Red Sea.
