Yemeni Houthi fighters completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Friday after deploying on the strategic island of Mayyun, located in the middle of the strait, a local government official and witnesses told AFP. This move raises concerns about the fate of maritime traffic near this strategic waterway linking Asia and Europe.
With this, the Iranian-backed Houthis now control the vital waterway for Saudi oil exports, which has become increasingly important to Riyadh since Iran, following the outbreak of the war with the United States, almost completely closed the Strait of Hormuz. Prior to February 28, a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas exports passed through this strait.
The Houthis, who control large swathes of northern Yemen, launched a major offensive last week against Saudi-backed government forces, achieving a series of territorial gains in battles that have left hundreds dead.
Saudi Arabia responded with dozens of airstrikes, the latest of which, according to the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV channel on Friday, targeted the airport in Mocha.
A Yemeni government official said, "The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandab region and Mayyun Island, located in the middle of the strait."
He explained that "boats carrying Houthi fighters arrived on Mayyun Island after government forces withdrew from it yesterday."
Witnesses said that Houthi fighters "are deployed along the Bab al-Mandab coast and have military vehicles patrolling the area."
The local official said that the number of fighters on the island "is not large," indicating that they are likely interested in "positioning themselves on the hills overlooking the strait."
The Bab al-Mandab region includes four strategic islands that were under government control: the Zuqar Islands, located near the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the heart of the international shipping lane between the coasts of Yemen and Eritrea, which the Houthis seized on Thursday; Mayyun Island, which they seized on Friday; and the Greater and Lesser Hanish Islands.
Government military sources told AFP that the Houthis are besieging government forces on Greater and Lesser Hanish.
One source added, "We don't know the fate of our forces, numbering over 2,000, on the islands... As far as we know, the Houthi enemy ordered them to surrender."
A senior military official told AFP that the besieged forces had appealed to the authorities "to rescue them, send food and water, and lift the siege, but this requires air support."
On Thursday, the Houthis seized the Red Sea port city of Mocha, enabling them to continue their advance toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
- "It's like the end of the world" -
Amid escalating tensions, both Brent crude and US West Texas Intermediate crude prices surpassed $100 a barrel on Friday.
Prior to the latest offensive, the Houthis, who control large parts of northern Yemen, including the capital Sana'a and the port city of Hodeidah, did not directly control any areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The International Organization for Migration reported on Friday that at least 46,000 people have been displaced since fighting resumed last week in southwestern Yemen.
“I think the Saudis tried everything they could to avoid this war, but I don’t think they have any other option now,” said Farea al-Muslimi, a researcher at Chatham House.
“The Houthis have pushed things to the limit, and whatever the cost is in the eyes of Saudi decision-makers now, it is less than it might be in two years.”
Fighting in Yemen since last week has killed more than 500 people, mostly combatants, according to a tally compiled by AFP from various sources. Nearly 20,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to the International Organization for Migration.
“It was like the end of the world,” said Mohammed, 46, a Yemeni who left the city of Mocha at midnight.
Mujahid al-Tuhami, who traveled from Mocha to Aden, said some families were “looted by gangs as they tried to escape.”
The island of Mayyun is about 13 square kilometers in size and has a very small population. The island divides the strait into two sea lanes and is characterized by its rocky terrain and rugged roads. In some areas, the rocky hills rise to over 65 meters.
- Humanitarian Crisis -
The conflict in Yemen began in 2014 when the Houthis launched an offensive against government forces, seizing control of large swathes of the country, including the capital. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to support the government forces.
The conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people and created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen announced on Thursday that the Houthis had launched ballistic missiles and drones targeting several cities in southern Saudi Arabia.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia had launched 64 airstrikes on Yemen in the previous 24 hours.
The UN Security Council held a meeting on Thursday to discuss the conflict, with the participation of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, who called on all members of the body to "engage actively in containing what could descend into a more serious conflict."
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