Iranian authorities and state media are celebrating the Houthi movement’s recent capture of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, a series of territorial gains that analysts suggest may provide Tehran with increased leverage against the United States. The Houthis, an armed group led by Zaidi Shia Muslims, have been engaged in conflict against the Western-backed Yemeni government since they seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
This week, the group secured control over several coastal cities and islands, effectively gaining dominance over the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait. The capture of the port city of Mocha on Friday represents a significant setback for the Yemeni government, which has now lost direct access to the Red Sea. These battlefield successes against fragmented, Saudi-backed forces have drawn vocal support from senior Iranian officials.
Hossein Mohebbi, spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), described the Houthi advances on the western coast as a “narrative of a divine triumph” and the result of years of steadfastness. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator with Washington, echoed this sentiment by reposting a 2024 comment from the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, asserting that the “resistance” of the Houthis would inevitably lead to victory. “The brave Yemeni people will certainly triumph, by permission of God Almighty,” Ghalibaf added in an Arabic-language post on Thursday.
Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref expressed satisfaction with the developments, encouraging regional leaders to pursue “the rationality of liberation from dependency” on Western powers and to seek unity under the banner of Islam. Additionally, Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, characterized the Houthi success as a “grand victory” that demonstrates that security cannot be purchased.
The strategic implications of these gains are significant. The Houthis, who began targeting vessels in the Red Sea in 2023 to pressure Israel regarding the war in Gaza, now possess the ability to exert greater control over the Bab al-Mandeb waterway. A video released on Friday depicted a Houthi commander informing troops that they no longer require missiles or drones to threaten maritime traffic, as they can now deploy artillery along the coast to target ships from multiple angles.
While the group has not officially closed the strait, military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated on Friday that maritime navigation remains safe for all entities except for Saudi vessels. This situation mirrors Iran’s own use of the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of leverage in its ongoing conflict with the U.S., which has persisted since February 28. Tehran is currently coordinating with regional partners, including Oman, to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, though the U.S. has reportedly opposed these efforts.
Despite the celebratory rhetoric from Iranian officials and state-linked outlets like Keyhan—which labeled the advances a “miracle of resistance”—the Iranian Foreign Ministry has attempted to distance itself from the group’s tactical decisions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated on Friday that the events in Yemen are the result of the Yemeni people “losing patience.”
The ministry maintains that the Houthis operate independently, driven by their own interests, such as ending the Saudi-led blockade. Tehran has formally called for an end to the siege on Houthi-held areas, a return to negotiations with Riyadh, and respect for Yemen’s sovereignty. Furthermore, officials in Tehran have signaled that no dialogue with Washington is possible under current conditions, with Ebrahim Azizi, head of the parliamentary national security commission, stating on Saturday that negotiations are useless until the U.S. meets all of Iran’s conditions. The report also notes that and are viewed by some as part of Tehran’s wider war against the US, ongoing since February 28, the Iran-allied group’s recent victories have been praised in Iran. The report also notes that this prompted bombing campaigns by the US, United Kingdom and Israel against Houthi positions in Sanaa, Hodeidah and other areas. The report also notes that saudi Arabia, which joined the war against the Houthis in 2015, has largely stayed out of the current eruption in fighting in Yemen. The report also notes that also known as Perim, sitting about 3km (1.9 miles) off Yemen’s mainland – provides the group with close-range access to the Bab al-Mandeb strait, the Houthis’ control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and multiple islands – including the island of Mayun. The report also notes that the US, which has continued its naval blockade of Iran’s ports and intensified sanctions on Tehran, reportedly opposes the agreement. The report also notes that published by the influential Astan-e Quds Razavi in Mashhad, called Iran and the Houthis “the lord of the straits”, the Quds newspaper. The report also notes that but even though Tehran has repeatedly threatened that Bab al-Mandeb could be further disrupted if the war continues, Iran’s diplomatic apparatus did not immediately link the Houthi advances with the current fight against the US. The report also notes that the ministry also pushed back on the idea that the Houthis act merely as a proxy for Tehran.
