Sanaa: A senior official of Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, has claimed that the Houthis have gained full control of Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
According to Iranian media reports, Houthi forces have seized key areas in Yemen’s western Taiz province, along with the Al-Khalid and Jabal al-Nasr military bases, and have reached the outskirts of the strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha.
The reports also claimed that the Houthis had captured Mokha airport, while a large number of opposing fighters had surrendered.
Bab el-Mandeb is a crucial route for global trade, with ships carrying oil, gas, food commodities and other goods passing through the waterway.
Mokha also holds significant strategic and military importance because of its location overlooking shipping movements in the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, warned that changes in the military situation near Bab el-Mandeb could have consequences extending as far as the Suez Canal.
He said the current military situation around the strait could affect global trade, describing the protection of Yemen’s coastal areas as a Yemeni, Arab and international responsibility.
The Ansar Allah claims of full control over Bab el-Mandeb and the capture of other strategic locations could not immediately be independently verified.
