Yemeni government forces leave Bab al-Mandab strait, giving Houthi rebels more control

Government forces pull out of the strait

Yemen's government forces announced on Sunday, 15 November 2026, that they were leaving Dhubab airport and the area around the Bab al-Mandab strait. The airport lies in Taiz province, in the western part of the country. The Southern Armed Forces, the main force loyal to the internationally recognised government, described the move in a statement as a military redeployment. Its troops are being regrouped towards Aden, where the government is based, to secure the capital and neighbouring southern provinces. The statement said the decision was prompted by changes on the battlefield and new security threats, and that it would not weaken the forces' commitment to fighting the Houthi rebels. The Houthis said the withdrawal followed an ever tighter encirclement of government positions.

Rebels gain leverage over a key shipping route

Bab al-Mandab links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, and it carries shipping between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal. With the withdrawal, the Iran-backed Houthis gain more influence over that route. The timing matters because Iran is also disrupting traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula. Reports warn that pressure on two chokepoints at once could further isolate Gulf oil producers from their main sea routes. Since Iran began blocking Hormuz in retaliation for an attack by the United States and Israel, Bab al-Mandab has grown in importance as a backup route for Saudi Arabian oil exports.

How the fighting reached this point

The Houthis already control Sanaa and most of northern Yemen, according to the reports. They moved toward the Red Sea coast in September, and a government counteroffensive launched in October did not push them back from the Bab al-Mandab area. The conflict escalated after the UN-brokered truce agreed in 2022 was violated. The Houthis have attacked Saudi ports, airports and oil facilities, including the export hub at Yanbu, and Saudi Arabia, a backer of the Yemeni government and one of the world's largest oil exporters, has responded with strikes on rebel positions.

Civilians in Taiz and detainee release

Taiz remains under siege, according to the reports. Roughly half of the 300,000 people displaced by the latest fighting are in the city, where aid cannot get in and civilians cannot leave. Separately, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Houthi authorities in Sanaa released 600 detainees on a unilateral decision. ICRC delegates interviewed each detainee privately before the release and helped them return home with dignity. The organisation said it did not take part in selecting the people who were freed.