Yemeni Government Forces Retreat From Bab El-Mandeb Strait

Yemeni government forces announced on Sunday that they are withdrawing from areas near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to focus on defending their main base in Aden. This marks the end of a six-week counteroffensive to reclaim the Red Sea coast, which the Houthis seized in September during an advance that squeezed oil exports. The Southern Armed Forces stated they are redeploying from Dhubab Airport and the Bab el-Mandeb area, west of Taiz Governorate, to secure Aden and nearby regions.

Background

Yemen's decade-long civil war reignited this summer as a spillover from the wider West Asia conflict launched by the United States and Israel in February. Government forces have been based in Aden on the southern coast since 2015 after the Houthis captured the capital Sanaa. A Saudi-backed offensive last month retook key positions around the strait, but the Houthis responded by intensifying drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and targeting energy facilities.

Humanitarian Impact

The Houthis also cut off Taiz in early October, putting severe pressure on the government coalition. Fighting is intensifying around western Taiz, where humanitarian conditions are worsening. The city hosts about half of the 300,000 people displaced across Yemen by the latest fighting, and it remains besieged with aid supplies unable to enter and civilians unable to leave. Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported that the Houthis released 600 prisoners on Sunday.

Context

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a vital global shipping lane connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, making control of its coastline critical for international trade and oil transport. Territorial shifts in this region directly impact regional security dynamics and global energy markets. Such strategic choke points often become focal points during conflicts involving multiple regional powers.