Following rapid territorial gains on Yemen’s Red Sea coast, the Houthi movement’s ability to maintain control over the strategic Bab al-Mandeb area now faces major military and logistical tests. The military escalation, which has intensified over the past two and a half months, recently altered a map of control that had remained almost static for the past four years. But while Houthi forces have successfully pushed into coastal territories, seizing the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands and Mayyun Island, retaining these gains presents a deeply complex challenge.
Saeed Thabit, Al Jazeera’s bureau chief in Yemen, said that the group’s geographical achievements also bring with them immediate structural vulnerabilities. To disrupt the Houthi hold on the coast, Saudi Arabia-backed Yemeni government forces have initiated a series of counteroffensives designed to stretch the group’s resources. Recently, government-aligned forces reported destroying a Houthi military convoy on the al-Waziyah front and clashing with fighters on the outskirts of al-Mudaraba in Lahj province, an area adjacent to the Houthi-captured Dhubab district.
Simultaneously, government forces struck Houthi positions and equipment in Dhubab and al-Khokha along the Red Sea coast. Faced with these counterattacks, the Houthis have attempted to alleviate pressure on the western coast by heavily escalating attacks on Marib and Lahj. Lahj province serves as the primary northern and western gateway to the government’s interim capital of Aden, housing the historic al-Anad airbase just 60km (37 miles) away.
However, holding the newly acquired coastal areas involves more than just military deployment. Thabit highlighted the movement’s lack of societal integration in these specific territories compared with their northern strongholds. Beyond local dynamics, the coastal advance has triggered significant international alarm.
The Bab al-Mandeb strait has become an increasingly vital waterway for global energy shipments, particularly as the ongoing United States-Iran war causes major disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. This sensitivity has already drawn heavy regional military responses. The Saudi-led coalition recently promised a firm response to Houthi cross-border strikes, while the Houthis claimed that Saudi Arabia launched 54 air raids across multiple governorates, including Taiz and Lahj, in a single 24-hour period.
Al-Shalafi emphasised the severe global economic implications of this specific theatre of war. With international actors heavily invested in maritime security, Thabit warned that the group’s presence near the strait could trigger severe consequences.
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