Mohan Sinha
08 Oct 2026

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have taken effective control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key route for global oil and shipping, although fighting with Houthi forces is continuing in the area.

Yemen's Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said government forces had captured important positions around Dhubab, at the narrowest point of the strait. The forces advanced quickly along the coast with heavy Saudi air support.

The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, seized control of the area last month. The move raised concerns in energy markets because Bab el-Mandeb is a key shipping route linking the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.

Eryani said government forces had captured the Dhubab airstrip, which is located just inland from the strait, and had cut off remaining Houthi fighters in the area. However, another government source said fighting was still taking place at a military base near the strait.

The Houthis rejected reports that government forces had made major gains, calling the claims "completely untrue".

Recapturing the coastal area would make it more difficult for the Houthis to disrupt shipping through Bab el-Mandeb. However, the group could still attack ships with drones launched from positions further inland and along the coast.

At the same time, Houthi forces have made gains near the city of Taiz in southwestern Yemen. Five Yemeni government military sources said the Houthis had captured parts of a mountain road, leaving government forces in Taiz under siege. Another government source disputed the claim.

Key Energy Route Under Threat

Fighting has increased across several areas of Yemen in recent weeks after the country's long-running civil war intensified as part of the wider US-Iran conflict.

The Houthis have sought to control Bab el-Mandeb while launching missiles and drones at Saudi cities and infrastructure.

The fighting has created a new threat to global energy supplies at a time when Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has already restricted Middle East energy exports. Concerns over the two major shipping routes have pushed up global oil prices and increased pressure on energy markets.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government announced its military offensive on October 4 to retake territory from the Houthis. President Rashad al-Alimi said the campaign would continue "until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia".

Saudi Arabia, which provides weapons and training to Yemeni government forces, is supporting the offensive with air strikes. Riyadh is also seeking logistical support from allies as it tries to reopen shipping through the Red Sea and stop Houthi attacks on Saudi territory.

Saudi Arabia said on October 5 that it had carried out hundreds of attacks in Yemen to support the operation around Bab el-Mandeb and provide air cover for government ground forces.

The Yemeni government also reported attacks on several fronts, including areas in Sanaa province.

The Houthi-run health ministry said two people were killed and seven wounded in strikes on the Sanhan and Sa'wan districts in Sanaa province.

The heaviest fighting has been reported in southwestern Yemen, particularly around the coastal areas near Bab el-Mandeb and the hills around Taiz.

The Houthis have been trying to surround government forces in Taiz. Five government military sources said Houthi fighters made further advances into the town of al-Turbah on the night of October 4. Another government source denied that the town had been captured.

A Houthi-run news agency also reported on October 5 that the group's fighters had pushed government forces out of the al-Mawasit district of Taiz province. The report said they had reached the area around the home of Alimi, who heads Yemen's interim presidential council.