Houthi forces have advanced to Yemen’s Dhubab town on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after seizing the strategic Red Sea port of Mocha, raising fresh concerns over the security of a vital global shipping route. Dhubab lies opposite Perim Island and overlooks the narrow strait linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and providing a key gateway to the Suez Canal.
The Houthis captured Mocha on 10 September as they pushed south along Yemen’s western coast, expanding their presence towards the strategically important waterway. The advance does not, however, mean the group controls the Bab el-Mandeb. The United Kingdom warned that the move would heighten risks to international shipping, maritime security and global trade through the waterway.
Previous Houthi attacks on commercial vessels prompted major container carriers to divert ships around the Cape of Good Hope, adding significantly to voyage times and costs. The development comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz also remains severely disrupted, with vessel transits falling to seven on 10 September against a 10-day average of 15.
The pressure on both chokepoints is deepening uncertainty for global maritime trade, with Bab el-Mandeb critical to Asia-Europe shipping and Hormuz a key gateway for Gulf energy exports.