Yemen: Houthis reach Dhubab, on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Houthi forces reached the Yemeni locality of Dhubab on Friday, September 11, according to two Yemeni government sources cited by Reuters. This advance places the movement in immediate proximity to one of the most strategic maritime passages between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Dhubab faces Perim Island, which divides the strait into two shipping channels. The same sources estimate that control of the locality and the island would provide a decisive advantage in influencing traffic through Bab el-Mandeb, a route connecting Asia to Europe via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

The advance follows the Houthis’ capture of the port of Mokha and fighting around the Hanish Islands. Rashad al-Alimi, the president of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, warned on Thursday that a shift in the balance of power near Bab el-Mandeb could not be viewed as a strictly internal matter for Yemen, due to its implications for navigation and global trade.

The economic significance of the area has further increased this year. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, approximately 8.1 million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum products transited through Bab el-Mandeb in the second quarter of 2026, up from 5.6 million in the first quarter, while flows through the Strait of Hormuz have significantly declined.

New pressure on the Red Sea

The Houthi movement has been seeking to expand its control over Yemen’s western coast for several weeks. The capture of Mokha has shifted the front southward, towards Dhubab and Perim, two positions that command the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

This offensive raises concerns about a maritime route already weakened by attacks on merchant vessels since 2023. Hijackings around the Cape of Good Hope have lengthened transit times and increased insurance and transport costs for a portion of trade between Asia and Europe.

The push on Dhubab comes three days after a series of Houthi attacks on four cities in Saudi Arabia, which resulted in 73 injuries according to Saudi authorities. The internationally recognized Yemeni government accuses the movement of directly threatening the security of Bab el-Mandeb.

On Thursday, Rashad al-Alimi called on Arab countries and international partners to support the defense of Yemen’s coasts, ports, and territorial waters. The Yemeni leader framed the security of Bab el-Mandeb as an issue directly linked to the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, and global trade.