Houthis Seize Yemen's Entire Red Sea Coastline
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This is an Iranian land grab disguised as a Yemeni victory, backed by Revolutionary Guard commanders on the ground and Tehran's cash, drones and missiles. With Hormuz already choked, handing a proxy militia control of Bab el-Mandeb squeezes the world's last major open oil corridor, pushing crude past $100 and diesel above $6 a gallon. Promises of safe navigation ring hollow from a group that has already blockaded and attacked commercial shipping.
Establishment-critical narrative
Sanaa's forces just liberated the entire Red Sea coast and smashed through Saudi-backed mercenary lines in days, proving that a decade of blockade, bombing and outside pressure accomplished nothing. Riyadh answered with dozens of airstrikes across Taiz, Hodeidah, Marib and Jawf, yet Yemen still holds the Gate of Tears and says navigation will remain safe. Siege for a siege is working, and no amount of Saudi jets or new Gulf pacts changes that reality.
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump just left Saudi Arabia hanging at the worst possible moment. Mohammed bin Salman called him twice asking for U.S. help against the Houthis, only to be turned down as Washington stuck to intelligence support. Now government forces are retreating, the Houthis control Bab el-Mandeb and oil is above $100. Trump promised strength in the Middle East, but refusing to back an ally as an Iran-aligned force seizes a critical shipping chokepoint looks more like strategic retreat.
