Yemen government forces withdraw from area near Bab el Mandeb Strait, Houthis in control

Yemeni forces fighting for the internationally recognised Saudi-backed government said on Sunday that they were withdrawing from an area overlooking the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, leaving the Iran-aligned Houthis in control.

The government’s retreat ​from the Bab el Mandeb area hands the Houthis greater leverage over the maritime chokepoint, creating ‌a potent pressure point on global shipping while Iran continues to disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula.

This dual squeeze would further isolate Gulf oil producers from their main shipping routes.

The Bab el Mandeb Strait is one ​of the world’s most important and busiest routes for global seaborne commodity and goods shipments, particularly ​from Asia to Europe via Egypt’s Suez Canal.

The southern Yemeni forces said they were ⁠redeploying toward Aden, where the government is based, as the Houthis — who control much of the north, ​including the capital Sanaa and Yemen’s most populous areas — increase pressure on the southern areas still under government control.

“The Southern ​Armed Forces announce the implementation of a redeployment operation for its forces from Dhubab Airport and the Bab el Mandeb area, west of Taiz Governorate,” the southern forces said in a statement.

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business