Houthi Forces Seize Mocha, Threaten Global Trade Through Bab El-Mandeb Strait

The Iran-backed Houthi forces have made significant gains in Yemen, seizing control of the strategic port city of Mocha and pushing towards positions overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

This development poses a new threat to global trade, as the strait is a critical shipping lane connecting the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

The US Energy Information Administration reported that crude oil and petroleum liquids moving through Bab el-Mandeb averaged 8.1 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026, up from 5.4 million barrels per day in the final quarter of 2025.

Hisham Al-Omeisy, a senior Yemen advisor at the European Institute of Peace, warned that the Houthis' control over Bab el-Mandeb could lead to exponentially higher oil prices and disrupt global trade.