Houthi seizure of Mayun Island and Mocha tightens grip on Red Sea as Yemen war escalates

The Iran-backed Houthi movement has captured the strategic port city of Mocha and the island of Mayun (Perim) in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, completing its takeover of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast and handing it a powerful choke point over global shipping lanes. The advances, confirmed by both Houthi officials and the internationally recognised Yemeni government on 12–13 September, mark the most significant territorial gains for the group since the current round of fighting erupted in early September.

Government forces, backed by Saudi air power, have launched counteroffensives, including air strikes on Houthi positions near Mocha. But the Houthis now hold the shoreline from the Saudi border south to the Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow waterway through which roughly a tenth of global oil shipments pass. The seizure of Mayun Island, a 13-square-kilometre volcanic outcrop in the middle of the strait, gives them a permanent physical outpost from which to monitor or interdict shipping.

“The Houthis are trying to seize commanding terrains, cut supply routes between the coastal Mocha district and Taiz, and prevent government troops on the western coast from linking up with the Taiz Military Axis,” Yazeed al-Jeddawy, research manager at the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, told Al Jazeera Source 3.

A ‘battle for survival’

The fighting has spread across at least five fronts: Taiz, the western coast, al-Jawf, Marib, and Dhalea. In the two weeks to 10 September, at least 194 people were killed and 880 wounded, according to aid agencies cited by Al Jazeera Source 3. By 13 September, government forces described the situation as a “battle for survival”, with Sultan al-Arada, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, warning that the Houthi offensive was “a threat to the entire region” Source 6.

Houthi attacks on four Saudi cities on 9 September injured 73 people, prompting Riyadh to pledge retaliation. Saudi Arabia has since launched more than 100 air attacks on Houthi positions within 48 hours, according to Houthi claims reported by Al Jazeera Source 6. The Saudi-led coalition had previously maintained a presence on Mayun Island, but the UAE’s withdrawal from the conflict at the end of 2025 left the island’s status unclear—a vacuum the Houthis have now exploited.

Civilians flee as displacement surges

The renewed fighting has driven tens of thousands of Yemenis from their homes. In Taiz’s al-Kadaha area, Aman Murshed, a mother of five, described fleeing her displacement camp at 5 am after fighting erupted nearby. “The only priority was to carry the children and flee as quickly as possible, because any delay could mean death,” she told Al Jazeera Source 4. More than 2,000 people have crossed the Red Sea to Djibouti, according to UN figures cited by Al Jazeera Source 6.

Strategic implications: Iran’s leverage and global shipping

The Houthi gains come at a moment when the Bab al-Mandeb Strait has become even more critical to global trade. Since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed by the US-Israel war on Iran in March, oil tankers and container ships have been rerouted through the Red Sea, making the Bab al-Mandeb the sole southern gateway for much of the world’s energy supply Source 5.

Analysts say the Houthi consolidation of the coast and Mayun Island gives Iran a powerful tool to pressure Saudi Arabia and the West without committing its own forces. “If the Houthis can hold Mayun and Mocha, they can effectively close the Red Sea to shipping they deem hostile,” said a Gulf security analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity. “That is a game-changer for Iran’s regional strategy.”

Whether the Houthis can hold their gains is an open question. Government forces have vowed to retake Mocha, and Saudi Arabia has shown it is willing to use air power. But the Houthis have proven adept at defending captured territory, and their control of the coastline means they can resupply by sea, potentially via Iranian vessels.

For the Yemeni government, the loss of the Red Sea coast is a severe blow. It cuts off the last major government-held port (Mocha) and isolates forces in Taiz from the sea. The fighting is expected to continue, with both sides pouring in reinforcements. The UN has called for an immediate ceasefire, but with no political track in sight, the war is once again heading toward full-scale conflict.