Al Jazeera reported on October 6 that government forces claim significant gains near Bab al-Mandeb as part of Operation “Yemen Dawn”, which the government announced on Sunday, October 4, with the aim of retaking all Houthi-held areas, including Sanaa, and that it had not independently verified the extent of the gains. In an analysis published on October 5 it judged that the forces are heading toward Sanaa but that defeating the Houthis will be hard. In September the Houthis had seized a coastal city on their way to Bab al-Mandeb, according to Euronews and SCMP.
Bab al-Mandeb is the entrance from the Red Sea to the Suez Canal, and the Suez Canal is an important source of foreign currency.
No direct effect on prices at present. The effect would show if ships were put at risk.
The Yemeni government considers a military resolution necessary to restore the state.
Analysts judge that defeating the Houthis will be hard and that the war may widen.
Real progress is proven by an independent party or by satellite images; we are watching ship traffic and marine insurance premiums.
Al Jazeera (October 5–6, 2026), Euronews, SCMP (September 2026)
Yemeni government forces announce gains near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait as part of Operation “Yemen Dawn” and head toward Sanaa
Two days after Rashad al-Alimi announced the start of operations, government forces say they have made significant gains near Bab al-Mandeb, at the entrance to the Red Sea, while analysts warn that defeating the Houthis will be hard.
Al Jazeera said in its coverage on Tuesday, October 6, that Yemeni government forces claim to have made significant gains near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, as part of Operation “Yemen Dawn”, which the government announced on Sunday with the aim of retaking all areas held by the Houthis, including the capital, Sanaa. Al Jazeera reported that it had not independently verified the extent of these gains and that claims from both sides are hard to verify. We found no second report confirming the details on the ground.
On October 5, Al Jazeera published an analysis arguing that government forces are heading toward Sanaa but that defeating the Houthis will be a challenge. The Houthis had reportedly seized a coastal city on the Red Sea in September in an attempt to advance toward Bab al-Mandeb, according to Euronews and the South China Morning Post.
For the Egyptian reader, the interest lies in the fact that Bab al-Mandeb is the entrance to the Red Sea, through which ships pass on their way to the Suez Canal. The canal’s revenues rose 23% to about $4.6 billion in the 2025/26 fiscal year, according to Al-Ahram Online, and remain below their level before the disruption to shipping. We have seen no announced effect on ship traffic over the past few days. In DailyDrop’s reading, the effect would show if ships were attacked or insurance premiums rose, not merely because the map changes.