Saudi-led forces push Houthis from Bab el-Mandeb — SkimNews
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- Saudi Arabia and Yemen's government launched a military campaign to dislodge Iran-backed Houthis from the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a waterway carrying roughly 12% of global trade and a quarter of the world's container traffic between Europe and Asia via the Suez Canal.
- Houthis retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Riyadh's international airport, an Aramco refinery and Saudi military bases; Saudi Arabia said two airports were attacked on Tuesday, leaving three people with minor injuries.
- Yemeni officials, speaking anonymously because they were not authorised to brief reporters, said the Saudi-led coalition has recaptured the towns of Dhubab, Bab and Hadeid around the strait — claims corroborated by two anonymous witnesses who saw government tanks entering the towns.
- Brent crude is hovering around USD 100 per barrel, up from about USD 70 before the Iran war, with the Bab el-Mandeb now serving as a key alternative oil route after Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz following the February 28 US-Israeli war.
- The International Organisation for Migration reported more than 184,000 people displaced since the start of August, including nearly 22,000 between September 27 and October 3 — a 26% weekly rise.
- US President Donald Trump is supporting the Saudi campaign through intelligence sharing, target identification and planning, but is not ordering US strikes on the rebels and has warned he could restart operations after November's congressional elections.
- Pakistan and Turkiye are sending military forces to Saudi Arabia under a new defence pact, though neither country has disclosed troop numbers or operational details.
Why it matters: A waterway handling 12% of global trade is now an active battlefield, with Brent crude at $100 and 184,000 people displaced since August. The Pakistan-Turkey defence pact signals Saudi Arabia is assembling military support beyond the US, which Trump has so far kept out of direct strikes on the Houthis.
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