Kpler logs 254 transits through Bab al-Mandeb in week ending Aug. 16
Houthi militants have intensified attacks along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, shutting operations at the strategic port of Mokha and pressing closer to the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The militant group’s recent missile and drone strikes forced the closure of Mokha, a logistics hub for civilian shipping and for anti-Houthi forces operating along the coast, according to Yemeni authorities cited by the Journal’s Jared Malsin and Saleh al-Batati.
Yemeni officials said the closure makes it harder for anti-Houthi forces along the coast to resupply and resist attacks, according to the Journal.
Last month, the Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi Arabia’s nearby ports and began attacking ships in the Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint.
The attacks have added pressure to global supply chains already strained by Iranian threats against Persian Gulf oil and gas exports, the Journal reported.
Despite the announced blockade and the strikes on shipping, shipping industry analysts said traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb continues. From Aug. 10 to 16, there were 254 confirmed transits through the Bab al-Mandeb, up slightly from the previous week, according to Kpler.
The reporting appears in the WSJ Logistics Report newsletter, edited by Mark R. Long.