▲ Yemen's Houthi rebels
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels are rapidly seizing control of key maritime corridors in the southern Red Sea, shaking up the dynamics of the Middle East conflict.
While the United States and Iran remain locked in a prolonged standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, the Houthis have tightened their grip on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal, substantially shifting the balance of the Middle East war.
According to foreign media reports, including Reuters, on the 10th (local time), the Houthi rebels captured the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha and swiftly seized the strategic archipelago of Hanish just one month after declaring an end to a truce last month.
Forces from the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led coalition rushed troops to the areas of Dubab and Perim Island (Mayun Island) overlooking the strait to establish a defense line, but it appears difficult to stem the Houthi offensive.
This is because the Houthi striking power targeting Saudi mainland areas has been fierce enough to trigger emergency sirens four times a day around an air force base in southwestern Saudi Arabia, placing immense pressure on maintaining the front lines.
Security experts view the Houthi offensive as part of Iran's calculated asymmetric alliance strategy.
U.S. security analytics firms, including Eagle Intelligence, have defined the current situation as a dual-chokepoint crisis in which both of the Middle East's major logistics arteries are simultaneously threatened.
Analysts note that shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and security instability in the Red Sea are converging to squeeze the global energy supply chain.
In particular, the security and economic blow to Saudi Arabia is critical.
With the Strait of Hormuz—which once accounted for 20% of global maritime crude oil shipments—under threat, Gulf oil producers such as Saudi Arabia have heavily rerouted oil exports through the East-West Petroline pipeline toward the Red Sea.
However, if the Houthis effectively seize control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern exit of the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia will face an unprecedented state of encirclement with both its eastern and western export routes across the Arabian Peninsula blocked.
Abad Studies, a Yemeni security research institute, evaluated that "even without fully occupying the strait, the Houthi rebels have proven their capability to practically paralyze shipping lanes simply by capturing the port of Mocha and utilizing asymmetric forces such as drones and missiles."
Taking advantage of U.S. naval forces being concentrated in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran and its proxy forces have secured a powerful strategic leverage point to simultaneously control and shake both major Middle Eastern energy corridors.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed vigilance recently, stating, "The Houthi rebels are Iran's proxy force, and there is clearly Iran's hand behind this situation."
While Iran dismissed Saudi protests conveyed through Pakistan by claiming that "the Houthis act independently," and the Houthis similarly claimed that "international commercial navigation is safe," experts point out that these are merely diplomatic rhetoric intended to evade direct responsibility for intervention.
Fears that a second major transport route could be blockaded caused Brent crude prices to surge 3.5% in a single day, breaking past the $100 per barrel mark.
If global shipping companies reroute around Africa's Cape of Good Hope to avoid the dangerous waters, voyage times will increase by more than 10 days, while freight rates and insurance premiums soar, potentially reigniting global inflation.
In particular, the Houthi advance into Bab el-Mandeb is expected to act as a major setback for U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the November midterm elections.
Conversely, for the Iranian regime, which has been cornered by U.S. "suffocation strategies" including sanctions, maritime blockades, and military strikes, this could serve as a turnaround card to escalate regional tensions to an uncontrollable level and pressure the U.S. for concessions.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.