Houthi forces reach Egypt's doorstep
The advance marks one of the most significant shifts along the Red Sea coast since Houthi attacks on international shipping first disrupted Suez Canal traffic, and it has put Cairo's attention squarely on a stretch of water it does not control but depends on economically.
Houthi forces completed their takeover of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline, capturing the port of Mocha and the island of Mayyun — also known as Perim — over a single weekend in September and placing themselves roughly 20km from the African coast, Al Jazeera reported. The Houthis also hold the Zuqar and Hanish archipelago further north, part of the same September advance, according to Asia Times.
The Iran-aligned group had not taken the African side of the strait as of early October, Asia Times reported, but is now positioned to deploy missiles, mines and fast-attack craft along the eastern Red Sea, the outlet said.
The captured areas had previously been held by forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognised government, marking a significant shift in control along one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, according to Asia Times.
Cairo forms a crisis team
Egypt set up an urgent crisis team to monitor developments after Houthi forces reached Mayyun island at the strait's southern entrance, tasked with assessing the situation and the group's objectives, according to The New Arab.
Cairo activated existing communication channels with the Houthis and raised the issue with the United States, Saudi Arabia and Iran, warning against further escalation, the same report said.
Egyptian officials view Bab al-Mandeb security as directly linked to national security and Suez Canal operations rather than a purely Yemeni internal matter, The New Arab reported, a framing that explains why Cairo set up a dedicated crisis team rather than leaving the file to its foreign ministry alone.
"The central message" in Cairo's diplomatic contacts was the need to prevent escalation and preserve the security of navigation, according to The New Arab, citing an Egyptian source.
Mohamed Hegazy, a former Egyptian assistant foreign minister, said the Houthi presence in such strategically sensitive areas increased the risks for commercial shipping and could give the group greater leverage over maritime traffic without requiring it to formally close the strait, according to The New Arab.
Billions of dollars at stake
Bab al-Mandeb, roughly 32km wide, handles about 12 per cent of global trade, according to Asia Times. Houthi attacks on shipping already cost Egypt about $7 billion in lost Suez Canal revenue between 2023 and 2024, cutting Red Sea shipping volumes by 50 to 55 per cent and forcing many vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding more than 20 days to transit times, Al Jazeera reported.
Suez Canal revenue recovered to $4.67 billion in the 2025-26 fiscal year, a 23 per cent increase on the previous year, but Asia Times warned that continued diversion of shipping "will soon reverse the improvement" if the Houthis' latest territorial gains push more vessels back toward the longer Cape of Good Hope route.
Houthis say shipping remains safe
The Houthis have sought to reassure shipping companies even as they consolidated their new territorial gains. Houthi politburo member Hazem al-Assad said freedom of navigation and international trade in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb "are safe and orderly," according to Al Jazeera. Egyptian officials and shipping analysts have been less reassured, given the group's history of missile and drone attacks on vessels transiting the strait.
Restraint, and a new alliance
Despite the losses, Egypt has so far avoided military intervention in Yemen. "Egypt follows a policy of distancing itself from military intervention in what is happening in Yemen," said Badr Hassan Al-Shafei, a conflict-resolution expert, according to Al Jazeera.
In July 2026, Saudi Arabia hosted talks that established a Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance including Egypt, Djibouti, Sudan and Somalia among 14 countries, according to Asia Times. The outlet reported that African Red Sea states beyond Egypt face growing risk as Houthi forces expand their reach along the strait's eastern shore, which is part of why Djibouti, Sudan and Somalia joined the alliance talks alongside Cairo and Riyadh.
Egypt's losses were not limited to lost transit fees. Al Jazeera reported that the roughly $7 billion shortfall represented about 60 per cent of the Suez Canal's revenue at the height of the disruption, underscoring how central the waterway is to Egypt's foreign-currency earnings.
Frequently asked questions
What have Houthi forces seized?
Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline, including the port of Mocha, the island of Mayyun at the southern entrance to the Bab al-Mandeb strait, and the Zuqar and Hanish archipelago roughly 160km to the north, according to Al Jazeera and Asia Times. The areas were previously held by Yemen's internationally recognised government.
Why does this matter to Egypt?
Bab al-Mandeb, a strait roughly 32km wide that carries about 12 per cent of global trade, is a chokepoint for ships heading to and from the Suez Canal, one of Egypt's main sources of foreign currency. Egypt has already lost billions of dollars in canal revenue since Houthi attacks on shipping began.
Has Egypt intervened militarily?
No. Cairo has relied on diplomatic contacts with the Houthis and with the United States, Saudi Arabia and Iran, and has joined a Saudi-led Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance that also includes Djibouti, Sudan and Somalia, rather than take direct military action in Yemen.
How much has the crisis cost Egypt?
Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping cost Egypt about $7 billion in lost Suez Canal revenue between 2023 and 2024, roughly 60 per cent of the canal's revenue at the time. Revenue partially recovered to $4.67 billion in the 2025-26 fiscal year, though analysts warn the Bab al-Mandeb seizure could reverse that gain.
