Houthis seize key Yemen port, threatening global energy supplies 

Iran-aligned Houthi forces have seized the strategic Yemeni port city of Mocha, moving closer to gaining control over the western coastline and increasing their leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime routes.

The development marks a major escalation in Yemen’s conflict and comes as the wider Middle East crisis continues to disrupt global energy supplies.

Four Yemeni government military sources told Reuters that the Houthis were nearing complete control of coastal cities including Mocha and Dhubab, which sit directly along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The advance comes amid intensified fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed forces supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

The Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. It is a critical route for vessels travelling between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.

Reuters estimates that about 7 per cent of global oil supplies pass through the waterway, making any prolonged disruption potentially significant for international energy markets.

The Houthi advance is particularly concerning because shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has already been severely disrupted by the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran.

Vessel traffic through Hormuz fell to just seven ships on Wednesday, compared with a 10-day average of 14, according to preliminary ship-tracking data cited by Reuters. No liquefied natural gas tankers crossed the waterway that day.

The Houthis have previously attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea, forcing many shipping companies to divert vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding significant time and cost to international trade.

The latest fighting therefore creates the prospect of pressure on two major maritime chokepoints at the same time.

Oil markets have already reacted to the worsening security situation. Brent crude has moved above $100 a barrel, with traders increasingly concerned that disruptions around the Middle East could restrict global supplies.

The Houthis’ expansion also threatens Saudi Arabia, which relies heavily on Red Sea infrastructure to move oil and other commodities. Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes against Houthi positions as fighting intensifies.

The escalation comes despite a fragile ceasefire that has largely kept Yemen from returning to the full-scale war seen before 2022.

The renewed fighting, however, now risks turning Yemen into another major front in the wider conflict involving Iran, the United States and their regional allies.

(Reuters)