Dubai: Yemen's Houthi movement has expanded its control along the country's Red Sea coast, raising concerns over the security of the Bab el Mandeb Strait as fighting with Saudi backed Yemeni government forces intensifies.
The Houthis captured the strategic port city of Mocha on September 10 and have since expanded their presence around the Bab el Mandeb Strait, one of the world's important maritime routes linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis have also taken control of the strategically important island of Perim, also known as Mayyun, in the Bab el Mandeb Strait. Its location at the southern entrance to the Red Sea gives the island major strategic importance for maritime security.
The latest fighting marks a major escalation in Yemen's long running civil war. The conflict had largely quietened after a United Nations backed truce in 2022, although the truce expired in October that year and no lasting political settlement was reached.
The Houthis seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Saudi Arabia intervened the following year in support of Yemen's internationally recognised government. The two sides remained rivals even after large scale fighting declined following the 2022 truce.
The renewed conflict has now spread across several parts of Yemen. Fighting has been reported in areas including Marib, Lahj, Al Jawf, Hajjah, Al Bayda and Saada, while government forces have attempted to respond to the Houthi advance.
Saudi Arabia has also come under attack. Houthi missiles and drones have targeted areas inside the kingdom, with Saudi authorities reporting interceptions, casualties and damage in some incidents. Saudi backed forces have responded with attacks against Houthi positions in Yemen.
The developments have also increased concerns about shipping through the Bab el Mandeb Strait. Commercial vessels continue to use the Red Sea, but the security risks around the waterway have increased as the Houthis strengthen their position along Yemen's western coast.
The situation is particularly important because Bab el Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides a major route for international trade and energy shipments. Any prolonged disruption could affect shipping costs, delivery times and regional energy supplies.
The wider conflict is also connected to the regional confrontation involving Iran. The Houthis are aligned with Iran, and the Group of Seven foreign ministers said on September 22 that Iran should stop arming and supporting the group. The extent of direct Iranian involvement in individual Houthi military operations remains difficult to establish publicly.
The United States has also been involved in diplomatic contacts over the conflict. US officials held talks with Houthi representatives in Oman in September, according to reports, as Washington sought to address the growing regional crisis.
Senior Houthi official Mohamed al Bukhaiti has said that the group does not intend to target US vessels, while describing Saudi Arabia as its main target. The statement represents the position of the Houthi movement and does not amount to a broader international agreement.
The humanitarian consequences of the renewed fighting are already severe.
More than 130,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen during September, according to the United Nations refugee agency. More than 3,000 people have also crossed the Red Sea towards Africa, mainly arriving in Djibouti and Somalia.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has projected that another 100,000 people could be displaced over the next three months if the fighting continues.
The crisis is also affecting neighbouring countries. Djibouti has received thousands of people fleeing Yemen, while aid agencies are preparing for more arrivals as calmer sea conditions are expected to encourage further departures.
The renewed fighting is taking place as the wider region faces disruption around another major maritime route, the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has been using its East West oil pipeline to move crude towards the Red Sea and reduce its dependence on the route through Hormuz.
The Houthi advance around Bab el Mandeb could create additional pressure on this alternative route for regional energy supplies if attacks on shipping increase.
The Group of Seven said the situation in Yemen posed a threat to regional stability, global energy security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el Mandeb. It called on the Houthis to stop military operations and attacks against civilian shipping and urged a return to the political process.
For now, the main concern is whether the fighting will continue to spread and whether the Houthis will strengthen their position around Bab el Mandeb.
The United Nations has called on all parties to protect civilians, respect international humanitarian law and allow humanitarian assistance to reach people in need. It has also urged the parties to reduce tensions and return to efforts for a negotiated political settlement.
The renewed fighting has brought Yemen back to the centre of regional security concerns, while the growing number of displaced people highlights the heavy human cost of the escalation.