On Monday, Yemeni government forces, supported by Saudi Arabia, successfully captured key positions in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. These developments occur as Houthi forces seek to control this vital waterway and have made advances in the area over the past month.
Control over the Dhubab area
Yemeni government forces have seized large parts of the Dhubab area, overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and have taken full control of this region. This advance has been supported by heavy airstrikes from the Saudi-led coalition. Military and government sources emphasize that this operation is aimed at reclaiming lost territory from the Houthis.
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Meanwhile, Houthi-affiliated media have denied the advances of government forces in this area, claiming instead that they have succeeded in driving government forces out of the Mawasilat area in Taiz province. These clashes continue as the civil war in Yemen has intensified following conflicts between the Houthis and government forces.
War's impact on energy exports
The war in Yemen, especially in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is one of the main routes for energy exports, has had profound effects on the global oil market. Given the energy export restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz due to Iranian actions, the ongoing conflicts in Yemen pose a serious threat to another important oil export route, raising global prices and creating new risks in this volatile region.
The Yemeni government has recently announced the start of its operations to reclaim territory, with President Rashad al-Alimi stating his determination to free the country from the grip of terrorist groups. Saudi Arabia is also assisting this military operation by providing weapons and training to government forces, aiming to establish free traffic in the Red Sea and end Houthi attacks on its territory.
As the war continues on multiple fronts in Yemen, heavy fighting is taking place in the southwest of the country, particularly in coastal areas near the strait and in the hills surrounding the city of Taiz. The Houthis are attempting to encircle government forces in these areas.
Ultimately, the Yemen war, which began in 2014 with the Houthi takeover of the capital Sana'a, has become one of the major humanitarian crises in the region. Given the dire humanitarian and economic situation in Yemen, one of the poorest Arab countries, the continuation of these conflicts only complicates the situation further.
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