Iran-Backed Houthis Seize Key Ports, Pushing Yemen Closer to Full-Scale War

A rebel group called the Houthis has seized three important locations in Yemen near a key shipping route. They took the port city of Mokha on Thursday, then the town of Dhubab and the island of Perim by Friday. All three are located near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Ships carrying oil and goods travel through this strait every day, making it extremely valuable.

The Houthis are backed by Iran and have been fighting Yemen's government and Saudi Arabia for years. Iran has already blocked another nearby waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, so the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has become even more important for Saudi oil exports. With the Houthis now controlling key spots along the strait, Iran gains more influence over global shipping. This gives Iran extra leverage in its wider conflict with the United States.

This week, the Houthis fired dozens of ballistic missiles and drones at four cities in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia struck back with airstrikes across four Yemeni provinces. Farea Al-Muslimi, a Yemen researcher in London, said the situation has become a full-scale war in all but name. 'It hasn't been given that name yet but we are marching there full time,' he said.

The fighting in Yemen has deep roots. The Houthis captured the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, and Saudi Arabia led a military coalition against them starting in 2015. A United Nations ceasefire in 2022 quieted much of the violence, but the country remained divided. The current escalation, which began in July, has shattered that fragile peace.

Experts say the Houthis are now far more powerful than they were ten years ago. Professor Elham Manea of the University of Zurich said the Houthi movement is 'militarily and institutionally much stronger,' while Yemen's recognized government remains fragmented. Saudi Arabia has changed its strategy, shifting from direct combat to providing military equipment and training to pro-government forces. The key question is whether Saudi Arabia wants to defeat the Houthis entirely or simply restore a military balance to push for new negotiations.

A defense pact called the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan, has not yet been activated. Pakistani officials say no military response is being planned right now, but they would act when needed. Geopolitics expert Alice Gower said she doubts Pakistan would join the fighting directly. However, the growing conflict will test Pakistan's ability to stay neutral, given its ties to both Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The human cost of Yemen's long war is enormous. The United Nations estimates about 377,000 people died from the conflict between 2014 and late 2021, with around 154,000 killed directly by violence. The current round of fighting has already killed nearly 200 people and forced about 18,500 from their homes. Aid workers say families are fleeing with nothing — no food, no shelter, and no certainty about when it will be safe to return.