A vital Red Sea port in Yemen is taken over by Houthis, endangering international energy supplies.

Hours after President Donald Trump stated he anticipated the war to end after midterm elections, Houthi militants with ties to Iran took control of Yemen’s port city of Mocha on Thursday, according to military sources, posing a further threat to the world’s energy supplies.

According to four Yemeni government military sources, the Houthis were attacking the strategically significant islands of Hanish and had increased their control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is the southern outflow of the Red Sea and one of the major commerce lanes in the world.

Since the Iranian conflict essentially closed the Strait of Hormuz, which once carried a fifth of the world’s oil, Saudi Arabia, the biggest oil exporter in the world, has been dependent on the Red Sea shipping route.

Despite a warming of relations mediated by China, Riyadh and Tehran have long been regional adversaries and have a deep mistrust of one another.

As the Houthis assaulted, Saudi civil defence authorities issued emergency alerts in the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait for the fourth time in a 24-hour period on Thursday, raising tensions in the area. According to Saudi, Pakistani, and Iranian sources, Pakistan has warned Iran to control its Houthi friends in Yemen in order to keep the situation from getting worse.

According to a senior Iranian official, Tehran responded that “Iran does not control the Houthis” after Pakistan sent the statement on Tuesday. The intensifying battle in Yemen between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia’s Yemeni allies, the internationally supported government, coincides with the United States and Iran launching their largest known round of tit-for-tat attacks on Gulf commerce since the conflict started in February.

The president of the United States once more threatened to bomb a location connected to the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic. As supply lines through the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz continued to be severely interrupted, Brent crude prices remained above $100 per barrel.

Involvement in the “Axis of Resistance” backed by Iran, the Houthis have supported Palestinians in the Gaza conflict by launching drones at Israel and targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Yemeni government forces are moving south to Dhubab, crucial for controlling the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime route for crude oil and fuel from the Gulf to the Mediterranean and Asia. The Houthis, controlling Yemen’s populous northern regions, are strategically positioned for this key shipping corridor.

The ongoing war and rising fuel prices have contributed to a significant decline in Trump’s popularity. He accused Tehran of attempting to influence the upcoming U.S. mid-term elections, suggesting the war might conclude shortly after the vote.

Despite previous claims of deadlines for an end to the conflict, advisers have warned that it could extend until January 2029. Iran retaliated against U.S. actions by attacking ships near the Strait of Hormuz, indicating a low likelihood of a quick resolution. Additionally, Trump mentioned potential U.S. military strikes on Iranian sites linked to nuclear activities, while recent conflict has hindered oil transport through the Strait, with vessel movement decreasing significantly.