Overview
- Reports from multiple news agencies say Huthi fighters took the port city of Mokha on Thursday and moved closer to nearby Red Sea islands that guard access to the Bab al‑Mandab strait.
- Yemeni government forces withdrew south of Mokha while Huthi claims that they reached islands are disputed and Saudi Arabia has announced countermeasures and sought international support.
- The renewed fighting has caused heavy harm to civilians with more than 500 reported killed and nearly 20,000 displaced according to agency counts and the International Organization for Migration.
- Markets reacted immediately as Brent oil briefly climbed toward $110 a barrel and shipping insurers and freight rates rose on fears for transit through the Red Sea.
- Control of territory near Bab al‑Mandab would let the Huthis threaten or disrupt a major route that links the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, forcing longer sea routes, higher transport costs, and the risk of broader regional involvement.