Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces seized key positions around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Monday, October 5, 2026, driving Iran-backed Houthi rebels from the vital Red Sea waterway in the opening push of a major new offensive dubbed "Dawn of Yemen." The battle for one of the world's most important shipping chokepoints marks the most dangerous escalation yet in Yemen's revived civil war — and it threatens a second global energy artery just as Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz is already squeezing oil exports.
Dhubab District Falls as 100 Saudi Jets Join the Fight
Government forces have taken large parts of Dhubab district, which overlooks the narrowest point of the strait, and are asserting full control over the area with heavy air support from a Saudi-led coalition, three military sources and one government source told Reuters. Houthi-aligned media had earlier denied that government forces had made any advances.
The Saudi-led coalition has formally joined the operation, deploying fighter jets to support Yemeni ground troops. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said 100 fighter jets were taking part and that 324 "high-value" Houthi targets had been destroyed. Yemeni government spokesman Maj. Gen. Majid al-Nujaili said forces had carried out 1,122 precision strikes against Houthi artillery batteries, rocket launchers and command centers. The Giants Brigades and the National Shield Forces — the two pro-government units leading the coastal offensive — say they have cut the road linking Dhubab with the port city of Mokha and are advancing toward it.
Al-Alimi Vows to Fight "Until the Country Is Liberated"
The offensive was announced on Sunday by President Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, who swore in a televised address to fight "until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia." The government said it had also begun a "strategic offensive" toward the Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa — a claim partially corroborated when Houthi-run Al Masirah TV confirmed attacks on the capital.
The Houthis, meanwhile, are fighting back on other fronts. Five military sources told Reuters the rebels have made important advances near the city of Taiz, gaining sections of a mountain road and leaving government forces there besieged. The Houthis also warned airlines to keep out of Saudi airspace, calling it a "theatre for operations," and have continued firing missiles and drones at Saudi cities and infrastructure.
Why the World Is Watching: Two Chokepoints, One Oil Market
The stakes go far beyond Yemen. The Bab el-Mandeb leads to the Suez Canal and is one of the world's most important chokepoints for container and oil shipments — roughly 12% of global trade transits it. With Gulf energy exports already restricted by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, fighting in Yemen threatens a second major oil export route, pushing up global prices and raising new risks in a region already aflame.
The renewed violence has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands, according to the AP, and ended the relative calm of a 2022 ceasefire that had largely stopped major fighting in Yemen's 12-year civil war. Fighting erupted again weeks ago as a spillover from the US-Iran conflict, with the Houthis seeking to control the strait after their biggest land grab in years.
The takeaway: both sides are claiming momentum, and independent verification remains difficult — the Houthis deny the government's gains. But with 100 coalition jets in the air and a ground push toward Sanaa, the battle for Bab el-Mandeb is now the sharpest edge of a conflict that could redraw Red Sea shipping — and global energy prices — for months to come.
Watch: N18G's report on the fighting near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Reel music: Kevin MacLeod - Hitman (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Reuters, The National, The Times