OMM Newsroom
Forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government said on Sunday they had withdrawn from an area overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The area came under the control of Iran-allied Houthis after the Saudi-backed government forces pulled out, AnewZ reported.
The withdrawal from the Bab el-Mandeb area increases the Houthis’ influence over the strait, which is crucial for maritime traffic. With Iran continuing to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, the situation could add pressure on global shipping.
Such pressure on both routes could further isolate Gulf countries from key maritime corridors. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the world’s most important and busiest sea lanes, particularly for goods and raw materials shipped from Asia to Europe through Egypt’s Suez Canal.
Forces redeploy toward Aden
Yemen’s southern forces said they were repositioning toward Aden, where the government is based. The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, and the country’s most densely populated areas, are increasing pressure on the southern regions still held by the government.
A statement by the southern forces said: “The Southern Armed Forces announce the start of an operation to redeploy their forces from Zubab airfield in western Taiz province and the Bab el-Mandeb area.”
The statement said the move was intended to “prioritize the security of the capital, Aden, and neighboring provinces, as well as to strengthen front lines and take measures against existing threats.”
Fighting in Taiz and worsening humanitarian conditions
Government forces launched a military operation in October to retake strategic coastal areas after the Houthis advanced south in September in an effort to seize control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline. The rapid offensive brought the Houthis closer to Bab el-Mandeb.
The escalation in fighting has undermined a 2022 ceasefire brokered by the United Nations and opened another tense front amid the US-Israeli war against Iran. The Houthis continue to attack Saudi Arabia, a key US ally and the world’s largest crude oil exporter.
Saudi Arabia had experienced relative calm during the first months of the nine-month Iran war. Houthi strikes on ports, airports and facilities belonging to state-owned Saudi Aramco, including the Yanbu oil export hub on the Red Sea, have disrupted flights and oil supplies.
Saudi Arabia has responded with strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. The country has been in a civil war since 2014, when the Houthis pushed the government south.
Yemen is facing one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Fighting is intensifying in western Taiz province, while humanitarian conditions are deteriorating. The city remains under siege, with nearly half of the 300,000 people displaced within the country by recent fighting sheltering there. Aid cannot reach the area, and civilians cannot leave the city.
