Saudi-backed Yemeni forces claim Bab el-Mandeb as Houthis strike airports

Yemeni government forces said they had secured control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after a rapid advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast¹⁰. Saudi-backed forces launched an operation named Dawn of Yemen to retake Bab al-Mandeb, with 100 Saudi jets striking Houthi targets³. Yemeni officials said several positions previously held by the Houthis near the strait had been retaken⁹. Euronews reported government forces advancing on Bab el-Mandeb in the offensive¹¹.

The Houthis dispute the claim. Al Jazeera reported both sides claiming victories, with Houthi officials saying the group maintains “firm control” over recently captured territory⁸. The Iran-backed group claimed new attacks on Saudi Arabia and on Yemen’s Aden airport², launching missiles towards the airport that serves as the main international gateway for parts of Yemen outside Houthi control⁵. A Saudi-led coalition said it shot down a Houthi missile north of Riyadh^12,13.

Why it matters to investors

Bab el-Mandeb is the southern gate of the Red Sea and the second chokepoint on the same trade route as the Strait of Hormuz. India Today reported that the attacks deepen the battle for western Yemen and raise risks for aviation and shipping through the strait⁴. Al Jazeera’s analysis asked what had changed to put the internationally recognised government on the attack⁷.

Semafor noted that Saudi Arabia’s previous war against the Houthis produced a yearslong quagmire and a devastating humanitarian crisis, which is the precedent to weigh for an open-ended campaign¹. CGTN reported the fighting escalating and raising fears of a prolonged war⁶. The Jerusalem Post reported the missile launches towards the airport taking place as Saudi-backed forces pressed their advance on the strait with coalition air support⁵. Africanews reported government forces retaking positions near the strait on the Houthis’ flank⁹.

What to watch

The immediate test is whether the government’s claim to the strait holds against a group that says it still controls recently taken ground^8,10. The second is aviation: missiles reaching Aden airport and the area north of Riyadh put civil air and airport infrastructure in range^5,13.

The New Arab reported the Aden strike alongside Qatar’s statement that US-Iran talks are progressing¹². For shipping, the question is whether a contested coast is enough to bring Europe-bound cargo back through the Red Sea, or whether the risk premium on the route stays where a prolonged war would leave it^4,6.