Yemen's internationally recognized government urged world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly for assistance in countering Houthi forces, which recently seized the port city of Mokha and nearby Red Sea islands to gain tactical advantages over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

While the Houthis have declared a blockade specifically targeting Saudi shipping, Yemeni officials assert that the group's broader control of the waterway poses a significant risk to global commerce.