Yemen forces withdraw from area near Bab el-Mandeb as Houthis take control

Yemeni forces fighting alongside the internationally recognised, Saudi-backed government announced on Sunday that they were withdrawing from positions overlooking the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, leaving the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in control of the area.

The withdrawal gives the Houthis greater influence over one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, potentially increasing pressure on international shipping. The development comes as Iran continues to disrupt maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula, raising concerns about the vulnerability of major shipping routes used by Gulf oil exporters.

Bab el-Mandeb is a vital passage for global trade, particularly shipments travelling between Asia and Europe through Egypt's Suez Canal. Southern Yemeni forces said they were redeploying towards Aden, the government's base, as the Houthis intensify their push into territories still controlled by government forces.

In a statement, the Southern Armed Forces said they had begun redeploying troops from Dhubab Airport and the Bab el-Mandeb area in western Taiz province.

The statement said the decision was aimed at prioritising the security of Aden and neighbouring provinces, strengthening military front lines and responding to existing threats.

Government forces launched an offensive in October to retake strategic coastal territories from the Houthis, who had advanced south in September in an effort to gain control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline. The rapid advance brought the rebels within striking distance of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The renewed fighting, which ended a UN-brokered ceasefire established in 2022, has opened another volatile front in the wider US-Israeli war against Iran. The Houthis have continued attacks on Saudi Arabia, a major US ally and the world's largest crude oil exporter.

Saudi Arabia had experienced relative calm during the first months of the nine-month-old conflict. However, recent Houthi attacks have disrupted aviation and oil supplies, targeting Saudi ports, airports and facilities operated by state-owned oil giant Saudi Aramco. The attacks also included Yanbu, the kingdom's major oil export hub on the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia has retaliated by striking Houthi positions in Yemen, which has been engulfed in civil war since 2014, when the rebels forced the internationally recognised government to retreat south.

Meanwhile, fighting has intensified across western Taiz, worsening an already severe humanitarian situation. The city, which is home to around half of the 300,000 people displaced by the latest escalation, remains under siege, with humanitarian aid unable to enter and civilians unable to leave.