Escalation of the conflict in Yemen: The Houthis occupy strategic points in the Red Sea

In recent days, there has been an escalation of fighting between the Houthi rebels and the forces of the Yemeni government, an ally of Saudi Arabia. This conflict is the second theater of war, next to the war between the United States and Iran, that threatens global energy supplies.

On Thursday, the Iran-backed Houthis reached the strategically important Hanish archipelago in the Red Sea, Reuters reported. The AFP agency clarified that the rebels had occupied one of the islands - Jazirat Jabal Zukar, located northwest of the Bab el-Mandab Strait.

On the same day, anti-government fighters captured Mocha, a town located near this strategically important waterway. Witnesses quoted by AFP saw rebels entering the city and shouting: "death to America, death to Israel."

Thus, the Houthis have made great progress towards gaining control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is located on one of the world's most important routes for ships carrying raw materials. The Houthis are aiming to control the entire Yemen coast of the Red Sea.

Bab al-Mandab Strait - why is it so important?

The Bab al-Mandab Strait, called the Gate of Tears due to its dangerous navigation conditions, is the southern exit from the Red Sea. It lies between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea on the African coast. The strait is a valuable target for the Houthis, who control Yemen's most densely populated areas and much of the country's north.

One of the world's most important routes for transporting crude oil and fuels from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean basin (via the Suez Canal or the SUMED pipeline on the Egyptian Red Sea coast), as well as raw materials to Asia, runs through the Red Sea.

Blocking this narrow passage would cut off oil producers from the Persian Gulf - including the energy superpower Saudi Arabia - from the main shipping routes, especially since Iran has already de facto closed the Strait of Hormuz, ahead of the US-Iran war, which is the main sea route for transporting energy between Asia and Europe.