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Houthi forces take Bab el-Mandeb, closing the alternative to Hormuz

The capture of Mokha and Mayun leaves two of the world's energy chokepoints in hostile hands and tanker freight repricing.

Assembled by Claude from 13 sources at 13 outlets · Monday, September 14, 2026, Morning edition, 10:23 AM EDT · no human byline

Disclosure. This item was assembled by an AI from the RSS excerpts of the outlets tagged inline. No human wrote or checked it before publication. Feed selection and categories are editorial choices by Teresa Lo. Nothing here is investment advice.

What happened

Houthi forces seized Mayun Island inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, giving the group a physical position on the waterway easternherald.com. Outlook India reported the capture of Mokha and Mayun, also known as Perim Island, giving the group a stronger position near the strait outlookindia.com. UA.NEWS described the seizure of strategic islands as increasing pressure on Red Sea shipping, oil exports and Gulf security talks ua.news.

Chosun Biz reported that the Iran-backed Yemeni rebels had taken control of the strait itself, a key crude oil shipping lane, cornering Saudi Arabia biz.chosun.com. According to the Yemeni government, the rebels now control a passage through which more than a tenth of the world's cargo moves nashaniva.com. Ahram called Bab el-Mandeb one of the world's key maritime chokepoints, taken from Saudi-backed government forces amid the wider US-Iran war english.ahram.org.eg.

Why it matters to investors

The Jerusalem Post wrote that the capture of Yemen's Red Sea coastline is reshaping the balance of power in the Gulf and strengthening Iran's hand jpost.com. The Times reported that Saudi Arabia launched strikes in Yemen after the rebels attacked a base, an escalation that followed the capture of the strait and has driven up global oil prices and displaced thousands thetimes.com.

VT Markets tied the seizure directly to market levels, with WTI topping $100, US yields near 5 percent, copper reversing and the Bank of England and Bank of Japan decisions ahead vtmarkets.com. Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the fall of Mokha left a humanitarian crisis in its wake and threatens shipping, after the group seized full control of the city and its strategic port english.aawsat.com.

What to watch

Freight is where the seizure shows up first. An oil tanker fund has surged 3,600 percent, with shipping lanes at risk of further disruption after the rebels seized the port of Mocha last week idnfinancials.com. A freight exchange-traded fund is up 3,600 percent this year; analysts attribute the turmoil to vessel shortages, tariff-driven trade route restructuring and low water levels at the Panama Canal as well as the Red Sea finance.biggo.com.

Israel has stepped up the readiness of its naval forces amid growing concern over the advances near the strait aa.com.tr. The open question for Gulf exporters is the one the Jerusalem Post poses: with the Red Sea route contested and Hormuz already constrained, the choice facing Saudi Arabia is war or fraught talks jpost.combiz.chosun.com.

Sources

  1. easternherald.com: Houthis Seize Mayun Island Inside Bab el-Mandeb as Saudi Arabia Shuts Oil Pipeline (2026-09-13)
  2. biz.chosun.com: Houthi seize Bab el-Mandeb , forcing Saudi to choose war or fraught talks - CHOSUNBIZ (2026-09-14)
  3. ua.news: Houthis seize strategic islands near Bab el-Mandeb - UA.NEWS (2026-09-14)
  4. outlookindia.com: Houthis Advance Towards Bab el-Mandeb , Claim New Attacks On Saudi Arabia: Why It Matters (2026-09-13)
  5. thetimes.com: Saudi Arabia launches strikes in Yemen after Houthis attack base - The Times (2026-09-14)
  6. nashaniva.com: Yemeni Houthis captured strategic islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. One of the largest ... (2026-09-13)
  7. english.ahram.org.eg: Explainer: Houthi gains around Bab El-Mandeb and what they mean - Region - World (2026-09-13)
  8. jpost.com: Houthis ' Yemen advance leaves Gulf states with uncomfortable choice | The Jerusalem Post (2026-09-14)
  9. vtmarkets.com: Houthi Bab al-Mandeb seizure lifts oil above $100 as US yields near 5%, volatility rises (2026-09-13)
  10. aa.com.tr: Israel raises naval readiness as Houthis gain ground near Bab el-Mandeb : Report (2026-09-14)
  11. english.aawsat.com: Fall of Mokha Leaves Humanitarian Crisis in Its Wake, Threatens Shipping (2026-09-13)
  12. idnfinancials.com: Iran War Triggers 3,600% Surge in Oil Tanker Fund | IDNFinancials (2026-09-14)
  13. finance.biggo.com: Tanker Shipping Rates Soar as Freight ETF Surges 3600% This Year to Become Wall ... (2026-09-14)