Yemen Government Claims Control of Key Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces said on Monday, October 5, that they had secured effective control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after launching an offensive into the coastal district of Dhubab with heavy Saudi air support. The Houthis denied that government forces had made gains, while Reuters reported that fighting was continuing near the strategic waterway.

The military offensive began on Sunday, when Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, announced a campaign to retake Houthi-held territory, saying government forces would fight “until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia”.

Government forces said they took control of the Dhubab airstrip and cut Houthi supply routes leading to Bab el-Mandeb. However, Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the battlefield claims. The strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is a major route for trade and energy shipments between the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. Its importance has increased as Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has already restricted Gulf energy exports.

But the government’s advance on the coast does not mean the battle is turning decisively in its favour. The Houthis have also made advances around Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, located in southwestern Yemen and home to more than 500,000 people. Government military sources told Reuters that Houthi forces had advanced along a key mountain road, threatening to surround government troops there. The renewed fighting marks a major escalation after a ceasefire that had held since 2022 collapsed.

References:

• Ghobari, M., & Azhari, T. (2026, October 5). Yemeni government forces advance to Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Reuters : https://www.reuters.com/world/yemeni-government-forces-seize-district-by-bab-el-mandeb-military-sources-say-2026-10-05
• Al Jazeera. (2026, October 5). Iran war live: Fighting in Yemen intensifies; Tehran says ready for US war. Al Jazeera:
  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/10/5/iran-war-live-fighting-in-yemen-intensifies-tehran-says-ready-for-us-war