The Houthis have taken control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast, according to reports.
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Houthis → take → reports
The rebel group seized the last towns on the coast in a rapid advance against the forces of the internationally recognised Yemeni government early on Friday, and has pushed onto islands in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, government sources and witnesses reported.
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sources → seize → strait
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The advance strengthens the control of the Iran-backed Houthis over the key shipping route of Bab al-Mandeb, which links the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea.
The route has been an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global energy shipments were carried before the war between the United States and Iran began earlier this year.
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war → happen → States
Houthi fighters reached the coastal town of Mocha at dawn on Thursday, then moved offshore to seize nearby islands, Al Jazeera’s Maha Ali reported from Taiz city.
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Ali → reach → city
Yemeni government sources told the Reuters news agency on Friday that Houthi fighters had reached the town of Dhubab, on the coast of Bab al-Mandeb.
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fighters → tell → Mandeb
Boats carrying fighters reached Mayyun Island – also known as Perim – that sits at the heart of the strait after government forces withdrew, government officials were reported to confirm.
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officials → carry → strait
“The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandeb area,” one source told the AFP news agency.
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source → complete → agency
The Sanaa-based Yemen Press Agency, citing field sources, said Houthi forces seized the Al-Omari camp overlooking the strait.
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forces → base → strait
Al Jazeera’s Nabil al-Yousefi, reporting from Sanaa, noted there has been no official announcement by the Houthi government confirming control over Bab al-Mandeb.
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Yousefi → report → Mandeb
Leverage
Bab al-Mandeb is the southern gateway to the Red Sea and the approach to Saudi oil terminals, offering a route to ship crude to Europe while avoiding Hormuz.
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Mandeb → offer → Hormuz
Traffic in the Red Sea decreased significantly during the earlier Houthi campaign that targeted shipping there.
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that → decrease → shipping
“The Houthis have the strong hand now,” reported Al Jazeera’s Yousef Mawry from the capital, Sanaa.
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Mawry → have → capital
“They have the leverage and they have control of Bab al-Mandeb and the shipping traffic going through the Red Sea.
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they → have → Sea
As the Houthi advance was reported, the average price of diesel in the US surpassed $6 a gallon and oil prices on Friday were set to close above $100 a barrel for the first time since mid-May.
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prices → report → May
The International Energy Agency forecast on Friday that global oil supply and demand are likely to fall further this year than previously assumed, with the US-Iran war delaying normal Middle East flows into 2027.
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war → forecast → 2027
Iran has successfully applied pressure on the US by choking Gulf exports through Hormuz, suppressing energy supplies and increasing prices worldwide.
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Iran → apply → prices
A member of the Houthi politburo sought on Friday afternoon to allay fears, insisting that international shipping faces “no danger” from the group.
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shipping → seek → group
“Freedom of navigation and international trade in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab are safe and orderly,” Hazem al-Assad told the Al-Araby al-Jadeed news outlet.
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Assad → tell → outlet
“There is no cause for international concern, as they face no danger from the Yemeni side.”
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they → be → side
Escalation
Al Jazeera’s Mawry noted that there are few signs that Yemeni government forces are preparing a counteroffensive to push the Houthis back.
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forces → note → Houthis
However, later reports from Houthi, Saudi and international outlets said Saudi air strikes had hit Mocha airport.
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strikes → say → airport
Al Jazeera was unable to immediately verify the reports.
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Jazeera → verify → reports
Meanwhile, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement calling for an end to Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Yemen, and urging a resumption of negotiations.
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Ministry → issue → negotiations
It was the first statement on Yemen issued by Tehran since the Houthi seizure of Mocha.
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It → issue → Mocha
The Houthis, which control most of western Yemen, renewed attacks on Red Sea shipping and the Saudi-backed Yemen government earlier this year in response to the US war on their ally Iran.
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which → control → ally
The flare-up of hostilities in Yemen illustrates the potential for that conflict to escalate across the region.
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conflict → illustrate → region
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday spoke by phone with Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir – a key mediator but also close ally of Saudi Arabia – and separately with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
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Araghchi → speak → Saud
Both calls reportedly focused on mutual coordination and regional stability.
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calls → focus → coordination
The Financial Times reported on Friday that Oman, which has been negotiating with Iran on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, is organising a meeting with Gulf states to discuss the plan.
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which → report → plan
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