Yemeni government forces, backed by Saudi air support, launched a major counteroffensive on October 5–6, 2026, claiming recapture of key coastal positions including the Dhubab airstrip and advances toward Mocha, which they said secured the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Houthi control. Houthi sources rejected these reports as propaganda and responded with missile and drone strikes on Saudi targets. Earlier Houthi gains in September—capturing Mocha, Perim Island, and surrounding areas—had sharply reduced transits, with traffic falling by roughly half amid a declared Saudi shipping embargo and ongoing attacks. Shipping remains disrupted but not formally closed, with rerouting and elevated risk persisting amid disputed territorial control and the wider regional conflict.