Houthis exploit Yemen power vacuum to advance on Bab el-Mandab

Iran-backed Houthi rebels are advancing in southwestern Yemen, seeking control of the strategic Kahboub mountains to tighten their grip on the Bab el-Mandab Strait, a key shipping route. Their recent ground offensive has already captured the cities of Mokka and Dhubab and Perim Island. The Houthis exploited a power vacuum created when Saudi Arabia disbanded a separatist militia that was supposed to block their path, while the Yemeni government army remained weak and divided. During a fragile four-year truce, the Houthis expanded their forces by recruiting unemployed men and children, with continued Iranian military support. Experts say the Houthis are unlikely to fully close the strait, as that would provoke US, European, and Middle Eastern intervention. Instead, they will use the threat of closure as leverage, benefiting Iran by potentially disrupting global trade and raising oil prices.