Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis consolidated control over the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait between September 10 and 11, 2026, by capturing the port cities of Mokha and Dhubab and the island of Perim. The seizures tighten the group's stranglehold over one of the world's most vital shipping lanes.
Ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait reached their highest volume in a week, with 20 ships entering and 17 exiting according to Kpler tracking data. The strait remains a critical chokepoint for international maritime commerce.
The Houthis expanded their stranglehold over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between September 10 and 14, 2026, capturing the Hanish archipelago and consolidating positions at Mokha, Perim Island, and Dhubab, displacing over 80,000 people. The seizures threaten global shipping and have already driven up tanker rates.
Yemen's Houthi militia declared a naval blockade of Saudi shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, threatening the second critical global oil trade chokepoint after the Strait of Hormuz. The group clarified it is targeting Saudi vessels specifically rather than closing the strait to all commerce.
Italy announced plans on September 17-18 to deploy naval forces to protect merchant shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait amid mounting security concerns. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto called on September 18 for a stronger naval presence to safeguard Red Sea navigation.
Houthis promise not to target European ships Pledge comes as container shipping through key Bab al-Mandeb Strait reaches highest level in almost three years
Italy's defence minister warns of severe economic fallout if Bab al-Mandeb becomes impassable, bypassing EU delays.
A public inquiry on 25 September 2026 heard that Number 10 Downing Street played a key decision-making role in pausing transfers of small boat arrivals to hotels, contributing to severe overcrowding at Manston asylum centre in Kent.
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Insurance rates through the Strait of Hormuz have risen to four times the five-year average as geopolitical tensions close key maritime routes. The spikes reflect escalating risks in the Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb straits, critical chokepoints for global trade.
BIG: Yemen's Houthis are considering imposing transit fees on commercial ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, with Chinese vessels expected to be exempt. The proposal reportedly emerged after discussions with Iranian officials and comes days after the group announced a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia.
Two Chinese supertankers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil transited the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Thursday to exit the Red Sea. The passage reflects ongoing shipping activity despite regional maritime security concerns.
Between September 10 and September 19, 2026, Iran-aligned Houthi forces rapidly advanced along Yemen's Red Sea coast, capturing Mocha and Perim Island within 36 hours on September 12, tightening control over the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Saudi Arabia appealed to the Trump administration for military intervention, but the U.S. refused, leaving the kingdom facing what Saudi media described as a "humiliating dilemma." An estimated 125,000 people, including over 57,000 children, fled Yemen since hostilities escalated in July between the Houthis, the Yemeni government, and its allies.
The Houthis and Yemeni government forces are battling for control of the critical Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Only 11 vessels transited the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on July 26, the lowest monthly traffic in recent months, following Houthi attacks on Saudi oil installations. The slowdown reflects shipping avoidance amid heightened regional maritime risk.
The takeover solidifies the group's position in the Bab al-Mandeb, but holding it long-term could be difficult.
Between July 16 and August 2, 2026, escalating U.S.-Iran military conflict led Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen to threaten Red Sea shipping lanes; two Saudi tankers reversed course, and Brent crude spiked from $95 to $100/barrel as regional tensions widened and Saudi Arabia formed a multinational maritime coalition.
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