Overview
- Houthi fighters captured the Red Sea port city of Mocha and moved onto the Hanish Islands as government-aligned forces pulled back toward Dhubab and Perim, putting them on the approaches to the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait.
- Multiple Yemeni, regional and Western sources said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps provided guidance, personnel and materiel for the western offensive while Tehran publicly denies directing the Houthis.
- The advance has triggered diplomatic warnings and tighter security planning from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Pakistan and increased US intelligence and advisory support for Gulf partners.
- Shipping and energy markets reacted quickly with some vessels diverting around the southern route and Brent crude rising above $105 a barrel, raising the risk of longer, costlier voyages around Africa if the strait is contested.
- United Nations and aid groups warned the offensive could deepen civilian harm and displacement in Yemen and further strain regional relief efforts as fighting expands along populated coastal areas.