Iran-backed Houthi forces have seized control of strategic territory surrounding the Bab el-Mandab Strait, creating a potentially dangerous new threat to global shipping. Officials with Yemen’s internationally recognized government acknowledged that Houthi forces captured the coastal town of Dhubab and the strategically located island of Perim, which sits directly in the southern entrance to the strait. The Houthis also seized the nearby port city of Mocha and advanced onto additional Red Sea islands. Bab el-Mandab is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, connecting the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean with the Red Sea and ultimately the Suez Canal. With Iran already disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, increased Houthi control over Bab el-Mandab means Tehran and its allies now possess leverage around critical shipping routes on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula.
The advance appears to be closely connected to Iran. Reuters reported that Iranian sources said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps instructed the Houthis to escalate attacks against Saudi Arabia while promising additional weapons and funding. A regional diplomat also said senior IRGC officers traveled to Yemen to help oversee Houthi operations, although Iranian sources did not confirm claims about which specific commander was directing the effort. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly called President Donald Trump twice seeking U.S. strikes against the Houthis, but Trump declined as Washington attempts to keep American forces focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. The economic stakes are enormous. Fighting around Hormuz has already disrupted energy markets, and fears that Bab el-Mandab could also be threatened helped push Brent crude to $106 per barrel. The Houthis, meanwhile, entered Mocha chanting “Death to America, death to Israel,” leaving little ambiguity about the ideological hostility accompanying their military advance.
If this website has ministered to you in any way, would you prayerfully consider partnering with me on this journey? Your support will help me continue my mission to Glorify the Lord, Reach the Lost, and Awaken the Believer. Most of all, I’d appreciate your prayers for wisdom, discernment, obedience, and guidance. As always... Stay Awake! Keep Watch!
You can give online by going HERE or you can send your offering by mail to:
Joe Hawkins
1231 Sunset Dr., Ste: 346
Grenada, MS 38901