Houthi forces seize Bab el-Mandeb strait and Yemeni Red Sea islands as Brent crude reaches $104
Houthi fighters have taken control of Yemen's western coast and key Red Sea islands around the Bab el-Mandeb strait, barring Saudi shipping and driving Brent crude prices to 104 dollars per barrel.
Coastal offensive and island captures
Houthi forces completed an offensive across Yemen's western coast on 11 September 2026, establishing control over the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The operation, which lasted approximately one hundred hours, displaced troops aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government and backed by Riyadh. A military official from the recognized government confirmed to AFP that every position previously under government control along the western coastline fell during the advance. The movement, which had established authority over the capital Sanaa and the port of Hodeida, advanced south through coastal territory in several days. On 10 September 2026, Houthi fighters captured the port of Mokha and the island of Zugar. On 11 September 2026, forces secured Mayyoun Island, also known as Perim, located directly in the center of the strait, before seizing Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish. Eyewitness accounts recorded armed men deploying along the strait in military vehicles. Saudi forces attempted to disrupt the advance by launching airstrikes against Mokha airport, according to the Houthi-affiliated television network Almasira.
Maritime transit and energy market response
The seizure grants Houthi authorities direct oversight of the maritime gateway linking the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, and the Mediterranean. Vessels unable or unwilling to use the corridor face circumnavigating Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, a route requiring substantially longer transit times and higher transport costs. The movement attempted to address international commercial concerns regarding passage through the waterway.
Navigation is safe for all companies with the exception of Saudi vessels, which have already been banned.
The capture of Bab el-Mandeb compounds maritime pressure on Saudi Arabia, the world's leading crude exporter, while the Strait of Hormuz on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula has remained largely closed by Iran since February 2026. Global energy markets recorded price increases following the territorial changes and strikes in Gulf waters, with Brent crude passing 100 dollars per barrel to trade around 104 dollars on 11 September 2026.
- Saudi Arabia attempts to block Iranian flight carrying Houthi delegation to Sanaa
- Houthi forces capture Mokha port and Zugar Island
- Houthi units seize Mayyoun and Hanish islands, taking the Bab el-Mandeb strait
Roots of the escalation and regional diplomacy
The offensive follows a period of stalemate after the 2022 truce, which left Yemen divided between the Houthi-administered north and the internationally recognized government based in Aden. Active combat resumed in late June 2026 when Saudi Arabia attempted to block a rare flight carrying a Houthi delegation back to Sanaa from Tehran, where delegates had attended the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. United States officials asserted that the flight carried weapons and military advisers.
The 2022 truce gave way to a period of 'neither war nor peace', during which nothing was resolved.
University of Zurich professor Elham Manea explained that the local Yemeni dispute has merged with the wider conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, though Houthi forces maintain distinct domestic objectives rather than acting solely on Iranian command. On 11 September 2026, an adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei praised the territorial advance, while Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers held discussions regarding regional security.
