The Houthi movement issued a statement on September 11 (local time) announcing the results of its recent military operations. Later that day, Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said the country's East-West oil pipeline had been shut down preventively after coming under attack.
Analysts noted that as the Houthis captured strategic locations near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the world's two key energy chokepoints — the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — are now under simultaneous pressure, posing a risk to global energy security and supply chain resilience. With Middle East tensions persisting, some institutions forecast that international oil prices will remain high next year.
Houthis say they control 5,400 square kilometers
Yemen's Houthi movement said in a statement on September 11 (local time) that since September 3 it had launched large-scale military operations along multiple fronts, aiming to expel Saudi-backed forces gathered in parts of Yemen's western coastal region.
The statement listed the following results:
First, Saudi-backed forces were expelled and six areas in Yemen's Taiz and Hodeida provinces were brought under control, covering a total of approximately 5,400 square kilometers.
Second, seven Saudi military formations comprising 38 brigades were struck, with hundreds of personnel killed, wounded or captured.
Third, Yemeni prisoners held for years by Saudi-backed forces in the country's western coastal areas were freed.
Fourth, 32 interception operations were conducted against Saudi warplanes, nine of which were shot down.
The statement said maritime navigation is currently safe for the vessels of companies from all countries — except Saudi vessels.
It added that the Yemeni Houthis will continue their policy of "countering blockade with blockade and escalation with escalation," striking Saudi military build-up in Yemen until Riyadh halts its "military operations" and lifts its "blockade" on Yemen.
Saudi Arabia urged U.S. to strike Houthis, but was turned down
According to U.S. reports on the evening of the 10th, two American officials said Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman called U.S. President Donald Trump twice that day, urging Washington to launch strikes against Yemen's Houthis, but Trump declined. The officials stressed that the U.S. government currently has no plans for direct intervention against the group.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry said in a statement on the 11th that the Riyadh and Medina sections of the East-West pipeline had been attacked multiple times on the morning of the 10th, and that the pipeline has been shut down preventively. The attacks caused some injuries.
Houthi capture of strategic Bab el-Mandeb sites may have global impact
Yemeni government sources said on the 11th that the Houthis had entered the strategic Red Sea locations of Zubab town and Perim Island. Zubab lies adjacent to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, facing Perim Island within the strait; control of both is key to controlling the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Why does the Bab el-Mandeb Strait matter? Why has the Yemen conflict suddenly escalated, and what impact will it have?
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, serving as a "chokepoint" linking the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean — often called a "water corridor" connecting Europe, Asia and Africa.
1. Bab el-Mandeb's importance grew after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran
In February this year, after U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran, Tehran responded by obstructing the Strait of Hormuz. With Hormuz shipping impeded, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait became an alternative export route for Saudi crude.
According to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, oil flows through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait averaged 5.6 million barrels per day in the first quarter of 2026, rising to 8.1 million barrels per day in the second quarter — about 8% of global oil supply.
This shipping artery lies within the Houthis' strike range; should they blockade the strait, global energy supply would be hit once again.
2. Houthis exploit the window of the U.S.-Iran conflict to expand their territory
Why has the Yemen situation suddenly escalated? Li Zixin, a Middle East expert at the China Institute of International Studies, said multiple overlapping factors drove the escalation.
Shifts in the internal balance of power in Yemen are the main driver. The Houthis seized the window created by the current U.S.-Iran conflict to expand their influence and break out of the behavioral framework established by the UN-brokered 2022 ceasefire agreement.
Yemen's government forces have never achieved effective integration among their factions, while the Saudi-led coalition, lacking necessary ground support, can hardly contain the Houthis.
The spillover effect of the U.S.-Iran war cannot be ignored either: Iran has stepped up its support for the Houthis, enabling them to mount offensives on multiple fronts.
3. Further escalation would deal another blow to global energy security
How will the situation develop, and what impact will it bring? Li Zixin believes that in the short term, the Houthis already control most of northern Yemen and key areas along the Red Sea coast; if the offensive continues, a full-scale civil war in Yemen cannot be ruled out.
For the United States, having already committed substantial forces to the Strait of Hormuz, it must now also respond to the Red Sea escalation — further stretching its strategic resources in the Middle East.
For Saudi Arabia, the Houthis have already fired ballistic missiles and drones into the kingdom's south. Meanwhile, Riyadh relies on the Red Sea route as an alternative energy export channel — a route that now faces direct threat.
At the global level, simultaneous pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — two vital energy chokepoints — will inevitably deal a serious blow to global energy security and supply chain resilience.
Escalating Middle East conflicts have deepened concerns over disrupted global oil supplies. S&P Global Energy said on the 10th that it no longer expects the war to end completely or the Strait of Hormuz to return to normal by the end of 2027, and now forecasts international oil prices to remain at a high of $80–100 per barrel throughout next year.
