The Houthi movement, officially known as Ansar Allah, has captured the Hanish archipelago in the southern Red Sea, according to Yemeni government and Houthi officials. The fall of Greater and Lesser Hanish, about 160 kilometres north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, follows the withdrawal of hundreds of government-allied forces from the islands. This marks the latest in a series of rapid Houthi gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast, including the seizure of the port city of Mokha and Perim Island, which sits inside the strait itself.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway connecting the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea, is a critical chokepoint for global shipping, particularly for oil and cargo heading to the Mediterranean. Its importance has grown amid the ongoing Iran war, as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked by US and Iranian forces. The Houthis, backed by Tehran, have been striking Saudi oil infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea for over a month, escalating pressure on global oil prices and enhancing Iran's leverage in its conflict with the United States.
The internationally recognised Yemeni government, which controls the south and east of the country, has vowed to regroup after what one official described as a "painful and regrettable" collapse of its forces in Mokha and along the west coast. Sultan al-Arada, a member of the presidential leadership council, said in a televised interview that forces "are currently regrouping and will return to the battle." Rashad al-Alimi, who heads the council, sought to downplay the defeats as "incidental," according to the state-run SABA news agency.
Humanitarian toll mounts
The renewed fighting has triggered a fresh wave of displacement. The UN estimates that more than 80,000 people have fled their homes in the past two weeks, including over 2,000 who crossed by boat to Djibouti. Khanzad Shah, acting head of Islamic Relief, a charity operating in the area, said thousands of families have left Taiz and nearby provinces in the past day alone. "Many of them don't have enough food or water as they had to flee with whatever they could carry. In some areas, whole villages have reportedly emptied," he said.
Yemen's Human Rights Ministry reported that some 150 civilians have been killed and more than 200 wounded since 3 September. The fighting threatens to reignite a civil war that has already killed over 150,000 people and pushed the country to the brink of famine over the past decade.
The Houthis, who came to power in late 2014 after storming Sana'a, have been tied to Tehran's so-called Axis of Resistance, a network of militant groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and various militias in Iraq. The group triggered a return to hostilities in July after a UN truce that had largely maintained quiet since 2022. Riyadh, which backs the Yemeni government, has appeared reluctant to fully re-engage in the conflict, despite the Houthi attacks on its oil infrastructure and shipping.
On Monday, the Houthis launched a fresh barrage of missile and drone attacks on Saudi military targets, prompting the Saudi Civil Defence to issue alerts in Khamis Mushait and Abha. A Houthi projectile fell near the border with Yemen along the Red Sea, injuring two people and damaging a mosque and several buildings. Riyadh did not announce any new strikes against the Houthis.
The Hanish islands had been controlled by UAE-backed allies, but the UAE dismantled its military infrastructure there earlier this year, leaving a vacuum that the Houthis have now filled. The group's advance around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has been met with little resistance, raising concerns about the security of one of the world's most vital maritime routes.
For European readers, the situation is a reminder of the fragility of global supply chains. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a key artery for oil and container traffic bound for European ports, and any sustained disruption could have significant economic consequences. The conflict also highlights the broader instability in the Middle East, which continues to shape migration patterns and security dynamics across the continent.
