Yemen warns Houthis seek foothold near Bab el-Mandeb Strait
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Yemen warns Houthis seek foothold near Bab el-Mandeb Strait")
People sail their boat past container ships anchoring near the Strait of Bab al-Mandeb off Yemen's coast in the Gulf of Aden on August 6, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)
Yemen has warned that Iran-backed Houthis are seeking to expand their presence along the Red Sea coast and gain control of strategic areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Yemen's government on Wednesday warned that the Iran-backed Houthis are preparing to seize land along the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which would allow them to threaten the vital shipping artery. According to Yemen's Information Minister, Moammar al-Eryani, the outfit is planning to build a foothold along the Red Sea coast.
"The Houthi militia … is working to create the conditions for seizing control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait by expanding its presence along the western coast and attempting to control strategic Yemeni islands in the Red Sea," said Moammar al-Eryani.
Al-Eryani highlighted the military buildup by the Houthis, noting that the group has demonstrated its capabilities through “repeated targeting of ports, docks, civilian infrastructure, ships, and government naval capabilities.”
Yemeni Military officials stationed near the waterway have confirmed the Houthi advance towards the coastal area. Yemeni military officials state that the Houthis are heavily targeting the port city of Mokha. Major-General Sadeq Duwaid, spokesman for the government-affiliated National Resistance Forces controlling the adjacent area of the Strait, has told AFP that Houthi forces are trying to secure ground.
"Through their continued attacks on Mokha and its port, the Houthi militia seeks to establish a presence along the shores of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and transform the area into a situation resembling that of the Strait of Hormuz," Major-General Duwaid told AFP.
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The Houthi rebels already control major northern ports in Yemen, most notably the critical port city of Hodeidah further up the Red Sea coast, but they do not have a foothold near the coastal territories or ports located directly on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
