The anti‑Houthi coalition has lost significant territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast in a rapid sweep that surprised many observers. By late September the rebels, backed by Iran, had seized roughly 130 km of strategic shoreline, capturing towns that lie at the mouth of the Bab al‑Mandab and the narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz.
"Now they are entrenched," says Hisham al‑Omeisi of the European Institute of Peace, adding that pushing them out will be far more costly for Riyadh and Washington. Iran’s support has grown as the regime seeks new footholds in a region already contested by hawkish forces from the Gulf and the West.
Strategic choke points under new threat
If the Houthis control islands such as Perim, they can stop ships from the Gulf of Aden and into the Red Sea, potentially halting essential oil traffic to global ports. This mirrors actions during the Gaza war, when Houthi drones and missiles struck vessels linked to Israel and beyond.
With Iran now wielding influence over both the Bab al‑Mandab and the Strait of Hormuz, shipping companies face "more leverage" and a tangible risk of repeat hostilities that could draw in the U.S. and its allies.
The Houthi advance, therefore, does not merely signal a local victory; it heralds a new dimension to the Iran‑Saudi‑Western conflict that could destabilise one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors.
For Yemen’s civilian population, already ravaged by twelve years of war, the escalation threatens further displacement, starvation and economic collapse.
