Threat to world’s busiest shipping route? How Houthis captured Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast in just 18 hours

The absence of an immediate military response has added to the sense that the Houthis presently have the stronger position on the ground. Their control of territory around Bab al-Mandeb also gives them leverage over shipping traffic passing through the Red Sea.

Yemen Conflict: The Houthis have taken control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline after capturing the coastal city of Mocha and pushing through the last areas held by government forces. The advance gives the group control over a large stretch of coastline around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s busiest maritime routes.

The latest offensive was completed in around 18 hours, according to Al Jazeera. The Iran-backed fighters moved south from Mocha after government forces left the city. They faced little resistance as they captured Dhubab and then Murad, which is described as the last coastal town under government control.

The group’s naval forces also moved into the waters around the Bab al-Mandeb. They seized Mayyun Island and entered Zuqar Island, where fighting is still taking place, according to the report.

The developments have given the Houthis control over territory and islands along a route used by commercial ships travelling between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Saudi Arabia carries out air strikes

Saudi military forces carried out two air strikes on Mocha airport, according to the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah channel.

There has been no reported counter-offensive from forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government to retake the areas captured during the latest operation.

The Houthis have also offered an amnesty to government soldiers and fighters who surrender. Mahdi al-Mashat, president of the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council, called on members of internationally recognised government forces to lay down their arms and said they would receive full immunity from prosecution.

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The offer comes as the Houthis seek to consolidate their gains along the coast and press their advantage against government forces.

The absence of an immediate military response has added to the sense that the Houthis presently have the stronger position on the ground. Their control of territory around Bab al-Mandeb also gives them leverage over shipping traffic passing through the Red Sea.

Iran, Pakistan discuss de-escalation

The developments in Yemen have also featured in talks between Iran and Pakistan.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir spoke by phone on Thursday (September 10), according to a Pakistani security official cited by Reuters.

The two discussed the US-Israeli war on Iran, the possibility of returning to negotiations and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the official said.

The call came as regional governments dealt with fighting involving Iran, Israel and the United States, with the military confrontation creating another layer of uncertainty across the Middle East.

How Houthis built a stronger force

The capture of Mocha and the coastal advance show the military capabilities the Houthis have developed over several years. Experts said the group has become a much more capable fighting force than it was around a decade ago.

“I would say that this is a fighting force that is probably more advanced than the force that the Saudis were fighting against about a decade ago,” Mohamad Elmasry, a professor in the Media Studies programme at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera.

He said the Houthis have experienced fighters on the ground as well as weapons supplied by Iran.

“Not only do they have ‘very good fighters on the ground, but they have acquired weapons from the Iranians over the course of the past several years. They have air defence, and they have an impressive arsenal of missiles and drones,’” he said.

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The professor said the Houthis are using the regional fighting to strengthen their position in Yemen. The group, according to him, is taking advantage of the region being “distracted” by the US-Israel war on Iran.

He also emphasised that the militia has its own interests in Yemen and should not simply be viewed as an extension of Tehran. Although Iran provides substantial backing, “they are not puppets of the Iranian government by any stretch. They have their own national cause and their own civil war independent of whatever happens in Iran”, he said.

Their control of the coastline, Mocha and nearby islands now places the group in a stronger position in a part of Yemen that has major importance for regional security and international shipping.

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