Houthis Launch Fierce Offensive Against Saudi Arabia, Closing In on Bab-el-Mandeb and Threatening Red Sea Oil Transits | WPN World People News

Following the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran since February 28, the Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel group, the Houthis, has continued its advance along Red Sea coastal towns. The group captured the Red Sea port city of Mocha on the 10th and seized Perim Island—a vital gateway to the strait—on the 11th, expanding its influence over the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and threatening Saudi Arabia's oil export routes through the Red Sea.

Located at the southern exit of the Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait serves as a vital artery for global trade, connecting Asia and Europe via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal as a critical international shipping route. Following the closure of transit through the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Iran war, the strategic significance of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait has heightened considerably, with Saudi Arabia currently heavily reliant on it for its crude oil exports.

Media reports indicate that Saudi military forces launched two airstrikes targeting Mocha Airport on the 11th, firing at least six missiles. This followed dozens of prior Saudi airstrikes, as both sides have exchanged missile and drone attacks in an escalating conflict. Satellite imagery from the 10th revealed dense smoke rising along Saudi Arabia's roughly 1,200-kilometer pipeline running from the Persian Gulf in the east to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea in the west. This pipeline is the kingdom's only large-scale alternative export route amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. If confirmed to have been attacked, it would place even greater strain on Saudi oil exports. According to media accounts, Pakistan and Turkey have both stated they will honor their mutual defense treaties with Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, over 100 US military advisors have deployed to the kingdom, establishing a joint command of approximately 200 personnel to provide intelligence and assist with targeting.

While Washington currently has no plans to launch direct military operations against the Houthis and is limiting its role to bolstering Saudi defenses, observers fear the destabilizing conflict could spill over into the broader Middle East and intensify strain on global energy transit.