Yemeni government forces withdrew from the Bab al-Mandab area on 15 November, leaving the Houthis in control of coastal positions overlooking one of the world’s most important shipping routes. The strait links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides access to the Suez Canal, a key corridor for trade between Asia and Europe.
Government forces withdraw from the strait
The Southern Armed Forces said on 15 November that they had left Dhubab airport and positions in the Bab al-Mandab area, west of Yemen’s Taiz province. The territory came under the control of the Iran-backed Houthis, according to Reuters.
Commanders said the regrouping was intended to strengthen the defence of Aden and nearby areas. The decision followed weeks of fighting along Yemen’s western coast. The Houthis launched a southward offensive in September, while government forces attempted to retake some of the lost positions in October.
Control of coastal territory increases the Houthis’ ability to monitor vessel movements and conduct military operations close to shipping lanes. It does not, however, amount to control of the entire strait or mean that transiting ships have been stopped.
A critical Europe-Asia trade route
Bab al-Mandab lies between Yemen and the coasts of Djibouti and Eritrea. It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and, through the Suez Canal, forms part of the shortest maritime trade route between Asia and Europe.
Container ships, tankers and bulk carriers pass through the waterway. If the threat intensifies, operators may divert vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, bypassing both the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. There is no confirmed evidence, however, that the 15 November withdrawal alone has already triggered another wave of diversions or an increase in freight rates.
Shipping risk was already elevated
A UK Maritime Trade Operations report dated 13 November said transits through Bab al-Mandab were about 24% below the level recorded before the Houthis announced restrictions on shipping in July 2026. No attacks on vessels were reported in the Red Sea or Bab al-Mandab during the week ending 13 November; the last such attack was recorded on 24 August.
An explosion on the sea surface was reported near the strait on 6 November, although its cause was not established. In an advisory issued on 12 November, the Joint Maritime Information Center assessed the threat to shipping in the region as elevated.
All of those data pre-date the government forces’ Sunday withdrawal and therefore cannot be treated as consequences of the change in control along the coast.
Two strategic chokepoints under pressure
The situation in Yemen is escalating during Iran’s conflict with the United States and Israel. Iran is restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a critical route for oil exports from Gulf states.
Simultaneous pressure on Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab complicates the planning of commodity and goods transport. Reuters has highlighted the risk of disruption on both routes, but this does not mean that new changes in oil prices, freight costs or vessel traffic were recorded on 15 November.
Fighting deepens Yemen’s humanitarian crisis
The latest phase of fighting has displaced about 300,000 people, according to information cited by Reuters. Around half are in the Taiz area, where the conflict is hindering humanitarian-aid deliveries and civilian movement.
Sources
Reuters, “Yemen government forces withdraw from area near Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Houthis in control”, 15 November 2026; Southern Armed Forces statement on the troop regrouping, cited by Reuters; UK Maritime Trade Operations report, 13 November 2026; Joint Maritime Information Center, Advisory Update 113, 12 November 2026.
Original editorial preparation: ManagerPlus editorial team.
