Houthis seize Bab al-Mandab strait as Saudi Arabia halts East-West crude pipeline

Rapid coastal advance and strait capture

Houthi forces took control of Yemen's Red Sea coastline and the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait following a rapid southwards offensive along the country's western corridor. The movement captured the key port city of Mocha on Thursday, before seizing the island of Perim (also known as Mayun) in the chokepoint on Friday. The sudden operation ended a four-year period of relative calm that had held since a United Nations-brokered truce paused large-scale fighting in 2022. On Saturday, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched counterattacks near the port of Mocha, with armed forces spokesperson Majid al-Nazili reporting the destruction of Houthi vehicles and fighters outside the city and along the road to Dhubab. Control of the strait gives the group direct oversight over maritime traffic navigating toward the Suez Canal.

Energy infrastructure and pipeline shutdowns

The escalation immediately affected regional energy routes across the Arabian Peninsula. Pro-Iranian Shiite militias in Iraq launched drone strikes against Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, forcing Riyadh to halt crude transit through the system. The pipeline normally transports approximately five million barrels of oil per day, functioning as a primary bypass route around the Strait of Hormuz during regional tensions following February 28 bombardments. Saudi authorities announced they would not retaliate militarily against the Iraqi drone attacks, acceding to a direct diplomatic request from the Iraqi prime minister. The simultaneous maritime choke at Bab al-Mandab and the pipeline disruption have compounded pressure on international oil shipments.

Tehran distances itself as cross-border strikes continue

Following the rapid advances in Yemen, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian rejected assertions that Tehran directed the operations of its regional ally. Pezeshkian addressed Saudi Arabia directly, seeking to separate Iranian state policy from the actions of the Houthi movement.

“We are not at war with Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have their own problems.”

Despite Iranian disavowals, cross-border hostilities expanded. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced on X that the group targeted weapons depots and command centers at the Sharurah military base in Saudi Arabia, located near the Yemeni border. The group stated that the installation was targeted because it serves as an operational base for actions against Yemen.

Humanitarian toll and internal conflict

The renewed fighting across western Yemen has produced heavy casualties and displacement among civilian populations. Clashes since the resumption of hostilities have killed over 500 people, according to figures provided by both Houthi and government sources. The International Organization for Migration reported that combat in western Yemen displaced 76,000 people since July, while authorities in neighboring Djibouti confirmed that approximately 1,400 refugees crossed the sea to seek safety. The conflict reactivates internal divides in Yemen, where the Zaidi Shiite movement led by Abdul Malik al Houthi has controlled Sanaa and the northern provinces since 2014, while the internationally recognized government retains authority in southern regions.