Iran-allied Houthi forces in Yemen have captured the coastal areas of Dhubab and Murad and the strategic Mayyun Island, tightening their grip on the country’s Red Sea coastline and creeping closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, reports citing local sources.
The reported advances follow the Houthis’ capture of the strategic port city of Mocha, further consolidating their position along Yemen’s western coast. Separately, Reuters reported on Friday that Houthi forces had reached Dhubab, a town directly overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The Bab el-Mandeb is an important maritime chokepoint that links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a key shipping route between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.
Control of Dhubab and Mayyun, also called Perim, would give the Houthis a strategically important position around the strait. Reports of the most recent territorial gains may add to worries about international shipping and energy supplies.
The developments come amid the fiercest fighting in years in Yemen, threatening to derail the fragile truce that has largely held since 2022.
