Yemeni Government Forces Push Houthi Rebels Back Near Key Red Sea Strait

Yemen's internationally recognized government said this week that its forces, supported by airstrikes from a Saudi-led coalition, have pushed Houthi rebels out of several towns near the Red Sea port city of Mokha, marking one of the more significant territorial shifts in the long-running conflict in months.

The advance brings government forces closer to the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, a narrow waterway at the Red Sea's southern entrance that serves as one of the world's busiest shipping routes for cargo vessels and oil tankers moving between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Control over territory near the strait carries outsized strategic significance well beyond the immediate battlefield, given how much global trade depends on vessels being able to transit the route safely.

Houthi attacks on commercial ships passing through the strait have disrupted global shipping routes for much of the past two years, part of a campaign the group has said is tied to the conflict in Gaza. The attacks have prompted many shipping carriers to reroute vessels around the southern tip of Africa instead, adding significant time and fuel costs to voyages between Asia and Europe and contributing to higher shipping insurance premiums industry-wide.

Yemen's civil war, now in its second decade, has pitted the Houthi movement — which controls much of the country's north, including the capital, Sanaa — against the internationally recognized government, which has been backed since 2015 by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia. The conflict has produced one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with millions of Yemenis dependent on humanitarian aid.

Separately, Turkey and Pakistan announced plans to send troops to Saudi Arabia, a move regional analysts said reflects growing concern among Yemen's neighbors about the conflict's effect on regional shipping and security as government forces press their advance. The Houthis have not publicly commented on the latest territorial losses, and it remains unclear whether the group will attempt to retake the towns or shift its focus to defending positions closer to the strait itself.