Yemen government-aligned forces say they are withdrawing from area overlooking Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognized government said on Sunday, 15 November 2026, that they were withdrawing from an area overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Reuters and Daily Sabah both reported the announcement.

Both outlets report that the withdrawal leaves the Iran-aligned Houthis in control of the area. The forces' statement, as quoted by Daily Sabah, does not itself mention the Houthis taking control. Reuters describes the government as Saudi-backed.

Daily Sabah quoted a statement from the Southern Armed Forces: "The Southern Armed Forces announce the implementation of a redeployment operation for its forces from Dhubab Airport and the Bab el-Mandeb area, west of Taiz Governorate." According to Daily Sabah, the southern forces said they were redeploying toward Aden, where the government is based.

Background

According to Daily Sabah, the Houthis control much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. The outlet says they are increasing pressure on southern areas still under government control. It reports that the Houthis pushed south in September to try to seize Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, which brought them within reach of Bab el-Mandeb. Government forces launched a campaign in October to recapture strategic coastal areas, it says. Daily Sabah reports that the escalation broke a 2022 UN-brokered truce.

Daily Sabah describes the fighting as a front in a wider US-Israeli war on Iran, which it calls nine months old. According to the outlet, the Houthis have attacked Saudi ports, airports and Saudi Aramco facilities, including the oil export hub of Yanbu. Saudi Arabia has struck Houthi targets in Yemen in response, it reports.

Daily Sabah also reports intensifying fighting and worsening humanitarian conditions around Taiz. It says Taiz city remains besieged, with aid unable to enter and civilians unable to leave. About 300,000 people have been displaced across Yemen by the latest fighting, about half of them in Taiz city, according to the outlet. The reports do not identify the sources behind these figures.

Daily Sabah describes Bab el-Mandeb as one of the world's most important and busiest shipping routes, particularly for traffic from Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal.

What each side says

• Southern Armed Forces: In the statement quoted by Daily Sabah, the forces said: "This step is taken based on the priority of securing the capital, Aden, and the neighboring governorates, as well as strengthening the front lines and addressing existing threats."
• Houthis: The reports do not include any Houthi statement or response.

What remains unclear

• The reports do not describe whether Houthi forces have physically moved into the vacated positions, or whether the withdrawal has been completed.
• The reports do not include a separate statement from Yemen's government leadership or clarify its command relationship with the Southern Armed Forces.
• The reports do not include reactions from Saudi Arabia, the United States, the UN or shipping authorities, and do not describe any immediate effect on shipping.
• The Reuters report reviewed by Vocemundi is a brief summary.

Analysis

The announcement concerns one of the world's busiest shipping routes, so its effects could extend beyond Yemen. If the Houthis do hold positions overlooking Bab el-Mandeb, as Reuters and Daily Sabah report, shipping companies and regional states may reassess risks in the Red Sea. The Southern Armed Forces frame the move as a defensive priority around Aden. Others may view it as a territorial loss. Key open questions include whether the vacated positions change hands, how Saudi Arabia and the UN respond, and whether the redeployment shifts fighting toward Aden or Taiz. None of these outcomes is yet described in the reports.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.