Yemen's Houthi group has taken control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait following a swift military advance that brought the 19-kilometer-wide waterway under their command. The movement now controls the entire Red Sea coastline in Yemen, establishing artillery positions along both shores of the strait—a vital passage for Saudi oil exports to Asia and international shipping.
The ceasefire in Yemen's civil war collapsed in recent weeks, triggering renewed fighting across established front lines in the northern governorates of Marib and Jawf, the southern highland city of Taiz, Dhale in central Yemen, and the Red Sea coastal strip known as the Tihama.
Houthi forces moved rapidly into the southern Tihama region last week, first seizing the port city of Mocha before securing the remainder of the Red Sea coastline and its associated islands. The territorial gains give the group the ability to block Red Sea shipping and threaten a new ground offensive toward Aden, a key southern city.
Saudi Arabia responded to the Houthi advances by conducting airstrikes in support of government-aligned forces.
The Houthi movement began in the late 1990s as a Zaydi Shi'ite Muslim revival movement in north Yemen, centered on the Houthi family. The group fought six wars against the Yemeni government, building a strong local militia.
As Yemen's central government weakened during the 2011 Arab Spring, the Houthis expanded their territory and developed closer ties with Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. In 2014, the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, removing the government from power and prompting a military intervention led by Saudi Arabia. Years of civil war followed, reaching a stalemate before a 2022 ceasefire.
The group has steadily expanded its military reach. Houthi ballistic missiles have struck targets more than 1,800 kilometers away, including a strike on the perimeter of Israel's main airport in 2025. The movement has launched frequent attacks within Saudi Arabia on cities and infrastructure, and fired missiles at ships in the Red Sea, causing disruptions to traffic.
During Israel's war in Gaza from 2023 to 2025, the Houthis fired missiles and drones at Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea, stating their actions were in solidarity with Palestinians. Since Feb. 28, the Houthis have again targeted Red Sea shipping and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, coinciding with U.S. attacks on Iran, their closest ally.
