DID Press: Sanaa government has announced that Ansarullah forces have gained full control of coastal areas in Yemen’s Taiz province and seized the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, a development that could affect security and shipping in the Red Sea.
The Sanaa government said fighting in the coastal areas of Taiz ended after forces affiliated with the Saudi-led coalition were driven out, with Ansarullah forces taking control of the western coast and Bab al-Mandab.
Yemen’s Supreme Political Council also said Sanaa would continue to uphold its international commitments regarding navigation in the Red Sea.Bab al-Mandab is strategically important as a key maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
Ansarullah’s reported seizure of the strait could significantly affect Red Sea security, the routes and costs of energy and goods transportation, and the influence of regional actors in the strategic waterway.