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Houthis plan to expand control of Bab el-Mandeb oil chokepoint

The Yemeni government minister says the group is targeting Mokha, nearby coastline, the Hanish islands, and Mayuun to strengthen its leverage over the Red Sea waterway.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Energy

The Yemeni Houthis are planning to seize land along the Yemeni coast near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a move that could tighten their grip on a key shipping chokepoint used by vessels traveling through the Red Sea, according to OilPrice.

OilPrice reports that Moammar al-Eryani, the Yemeni minister of information, told AFP the group is seeking to create conditions for taking control of the strait by expanding its presence along the western coast and attempting to control strategic Yemeni islands in the Red Sea. Three Houthi sources, according to the report, confirmed the plans.

The Yemeni official said the Houthis are aiming to establish control over the port city of Mokha, the coastline around it, the Hanish islands, and the island of Mayuun, which sits in the Bab el-Mandeb. OilPrice says this could significantly strengthen the Houthis' control over the waterway.

OilPrice also notes that the Houthis earlier this year announced a blockade on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, threatening Saudi Arabia’s alternative routes.

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