00:01The Houthis are making a stunning claim that could dramatically change the balance of power along one of the world's
00:07most important shipping routes.
00:09Ansar Allah says it now controls the Bab al-Mandeb Strait after seizing the strategic Red Sea port city of
00:17Mocha in Yemen.
00:18Speaking to RT, senior Houthi political bureau member Muhammad al-Bukhadi said, quote,
00:24of course we now control Bab al-Mandeb, end quote.
00:27He said the group's broader objective remains what he described as liberating Yemen, restoring its sovereignty, and ending what he
00:35called Saudi aggression and the blockade.
00:38The statement comes after days of intense fighting around Mocha, also known as Mocha or al-Makka.
00:45Houthi forces pushed Saudi-backed Yemeni government and national resistance forces out of the city, taking control of the port
00:52and surrounding positions.
00:53Government forces reportedly withdrew south, toward Dubob, an area much closer to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the strategic
01:02island of Parham, also known as Mayun.
01:04The retreat has raised fears that the Houthis could gain even greater leverage over the maritime gateway connecting the Red
01:11Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
01:13And the Houthis are not stopping there.
01:15Reports indicate that Houthi forces have also moved toward strategic islands overlooking the shipping lanes, including the Hanish Islands.
01:23Claims have also emerged of Houthi advances toward Zucar Island, following rocket and amphibious operations.
01:30For global shipping, the stakes are enormous.
01:33Bab al-Mandeb is a critical maritime chokepoint through which a major volume of commercial traffic passes between the Red
01:40Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
01:41Any sustained disruption or military confrontation around the strait could threaten shipping routes, raise insurance costs, and put further pressure
01:50on global trade.
01:51Al-Bukhadi also issued a warning to countries that could become involved in the conflict.
01:56He said the Houthis are fighting Saudi forces directly and are prepared to expand the confrontation if other countries become
02:03involved in what he called aggression against Yemen.
02:06At the same time, the Houthi official claimed the group remains committed to freedom of navigation through Bab al-Mandeb
02:13and the Red Sea, while saying its attacks would focus on what he described as the Saudi enemy.
02:19The latest developments come after fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces intensified again, following a period of relative
02:26calm.
02:27The escalation has brought Yemen's long-running conflict back into the regional spotlight.
02:32The timing is also significant because the wider Middle East is already facing major maritime tensions.
02:39The Strait of Hormuz has been heavily disrupted by the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, while the Red Sea
02:45remains a crucial alternative route for global commerce.
02:48The Houthis have previously attacked commercial and military-linked shipping in the Red Sea, particularly during the Gaza War, turning
02:56the group into a major force capable of threatening maritime traffic far beyond Yemen's borders.
03:02Now, after the fall of Mocha, the Houthis are claiming something even bigger—control of Bab al-Mandeb.
03:09If that claim translates into sustained military control of the waterway and the surrounding islands, the consequences could extend far
03:17beyond Yemen, putting global shipping, Saudi Arabia, and regional powers under even greater pressure.
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