Yemeni army retakes Bab el-Mandeb strait area from Houthis
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Yemen's government army has launched an operation to retake several strategic positions around the Bab el-Mandeb strait from the Houthis, an Iran-aligned group that tried to seize control of shipping routes in the Red Sea last month. Reuters reported today, citing military and government sources, that government forces have captured most of the Dubab district on the Bab el-Mandeb strait and are pushing to take full control of the area, with the operation backed by air support from a Saudi-led coalition. The Yemeni government announced on Sunday that it had launched the operation to retake the area, with Yemen's president, Rashad al-Alimi, vowing to keep fighting until the country is freed from the control of armed groups. Energy exports from the Arabian Gulf region are already blocked by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and the fighting in Yemen adds further risk to oil export routes through the Red Sea, pushing global oil prices higher.