Saudi-Backed Yemeni Forces Claim Control of Bab el-Mandeb

Forces loyal to the Yemeni government, backed by Saudi Arabia, claimed to have achieved effective control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a key oil shipping route, Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani told Reuters. Government troops advanced with heavy Saudi air support and took up positions in the Dhubab area, at the strait's narrowest point, though fighting with Houthi forces continues. The Houthis dismissed the claims of advances as "completely false" and threatened to attack aircraft in Saudi airspace.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government launched Operation Yemen Dawn on all fronts, with President Rashad al-Alimi stating the goal of retaking the capital Sanaa and ending the Houthi insurgency. Government forces recaptured the Dhubab airstrip and reached coastal highway N2, cutting off Houthi troops further south on Perim Island and the Ras Menhali peninsula; the next objective would be to retake the port of Dhubab and then Mocha and Hodeida. The renewed fighting has deepened the humanitarian crisis: the UN migration agency reported that some 184,000 people have been displaced since the war resumed.

Saudi Arabia stepped up its airstrikes to support the offensive, hitting hundreds of Houthi targets to provide air cover for its ground forces and the strait. However, support from Washington has been limited to intelligence and target-data sharing: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly called Donald Trump twice in September seeking direct military backing against the Houthis, but the U.S. president has so far rejected new military operations, citing the continued validity of the understanding between Washington and the Houthis.

While advancing along the coast, government forces faced heavy Houthi attacks aimed at tightening the siege on the city of Taiz. Government sources acknowledged that the Houthis gained ground, even seizing sections of a mountain road and the al-Mawasit district, near al-Alimi's residence, though they failed to cut the route linking Taiz to Aden thanks to resistance from local militias. The Houthi Health Ministry reported two dead and seven wounded in strikes on the Sanhan and Sa'wan districts of Sanaa province.

The escalation comes after earlier warnings that the European Union would need to expand its naval presence in the Red Sea: the bloc's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said Operation Aspides would require more than ten warships given the growing threat, while the Houthis remained ambiguous about which vessels they would target. Despite this, transit data as of October 5 show traffic through Bab el-Mandeb has remained relatively resilient, with weekly crossings down slightly by 5.7% and no new Houthi attacks confirmed by the IMO during the period, though suspicious activity was reported off Al Mukha.