The Houthis said on Thursday, 10 September 2026, that shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait was safe and regular, without providing figures on passing vessels or detailed operational data to support the assessment. The status of shipping in the waterway could not be independently verified.
Escalation in coastal areas
The group made the statement as Yemeni government and military sources reported Houthi advances in coastal areas near the strait, amid escalating fighting with forces allied with the internationally recognised government.
The sources said the group had seized the city of Mokha and was seeking to strengthen its influence along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
A safe-passage mechanism
The centre said safe-passage coordination was an optional and free service, while vessels covered by the ban would be liable to attack if they entered the declared area of operations.
The waterway’s importance
Bab al-Mandab is the southern gateway to the Red Sea and links it to the Gulf of Aden, making developments in shipping there connected to the movement of goods and energy between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.
