Houthis Seize Yemen's Entire Red Sea Coast in Lightning Offensive

Yemen's Houthi movement has seized control of the country's entire Red Sea coast and three strategic islands in a rapid, week-long offensive that has left hundreds dead, government officials said. The Iran-backed group took the Yemeni side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the narrow waterway that serves as the southern gateway between the Red Sea and the Suez Canal and one of the world's most important shipping corridors.

The offensive culminated on Thursday when Houthi forces seized the port city of Mocha, a major setback for the internationally recognized Yemeni government backed by Saudi Arabia, before completing their push along the coastline on Friday. The Houthis also took control of the strategic island of Perim, which sits at the mouth of the strait, giving the group what officials describe as unmatched control over the corridor's entry and exit point. The advance is expected to deepen the wider Middle East conflict's impact on international trade, coming in the same week that Saudi Arabia shut down a major oil pipeline after a separate drone attack, further raising the stakes for shipping and energy routes through the region.