Houthis seize control of Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Yemen's government-backed forces have retreated from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, ceding control to Iran-aligned Houthis. Southern forces are now focused on defending Aden. The shift threatens global shipping, already strained by Iran's presence near the Strait of Hormuz. Fighting around Taiz has worsened, with nearly 150,000 of Yemen's 300,000 newly displaced sheltering there.