Houthis seize Bab al-Mandab strait controlling 10% of world shipping

By 22 September 2026, Houthi forces had taken Mocha and strategic Red Sea islands in a three-week offensive, gaining control of the Bab al-Mandab strait. The strait carries 10% of global maritime traffic. The advance is the most significant territorial gain in four years of Yemen's civil war, while Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz.