Houthis advance towards Bab al-Mandab with capture of Mokha
The capture was confirmed by Houthi and Yemeni
officials, with pro-government forces withdrawing south towards Dhubab. Mokha’s
fall gives the Houthis greater control over Yemen’s western coastline and
potentially improves their ability to monitor and threaten shipping approaching
the southern entrance to the Red Sea.Bab
al-Mandab has become even more strategically important since disruption in the
Strait of Hormuz forced greater reliance on Red Sea export routes. Around 12%
of global oil and other goods normally pass through Bab al-Mandab.The Houthis
insist, however, that international shipping is not the target. In an email
sent to Splash yesterday, Waleed Abdallah of the Houthi-run Humanitarian
Operations Coordination Centersaid “maritime navigation in the international
waters of the Red Sea is safe”, adding that the only existing restriction
remains the “previously imposed ban on Saudi vessels”.That message was echoed
publicly by senior Houthi officials, who said international navigation “will
remain safe” despite the group’s advance towards Bab al-Mandab.
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