Houthis take control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, key shipping route

The Houthis have taken control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast, according to reports.

The rebel group seized the last towns on the coast in a rapid advance against the forces of the internationally recognised Yemeni government early on Friday, and has pushed onto islands in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, government sources and witnesses reported.

The advance strengthens the control of the Iran-backed Houthis over the key shipping route of Bab al-Mandeb, which links the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea.

The route has been utilised as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz , through which around one-fifth of global energy shipments were carried before the war between the United States and Iran began earlier this year.

Houthi fighters reached the coastal town of al-Makha – also known as Mocha – at dawn on Thursday, then moved offshore to seize nearby islands, Al Jazeera’s Maha Ali reported from Taiz city.

Yemeni government sources told the Reuters news agency on Friday that Houthi fighters had reached the town of Dhubab, on the coast of Bab al-Mandeb.

Boats carrying fighters reached Mayyun Island – also know as Perim – that sits at the heart of the strait after government forces withdrew, government officials were reported to confirm.

“The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandeb area,” one source told the AFP news agency.