What Happened?

A militant group in Yemen now controls a strategic Red Sea port and is pushing toward one of the world's most important shipping lanes. That development came just days after a congressional hearing on Sept. 1 examined how the group, known as the Houthis, keeps acquiring weapons despite U.S. sanctions. [](#ngr-59ba2ead-643b-4d8b-beee-3d56897a78cf)

On Sept. 10, Houthi forces seized the port of Mokha and advanced toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway where a large share of global shipping passes. The group has threatened Saudi vessels specifically while saying it does not target international shipping generally.

Why Does It Matter To Me?

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait sits between Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Ships carrying oil, consumer goods, and cargo between Asia, Europe, and the U.S. pass through it. Disruptions there can raise shipping costs, which can ripple into prices Americans pay at the store.

The Houthis have ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and attack drones, and the U.S. Treasury Department says the group uses front companies, shipping firms, and international suppliers to keep its weapons pipeline running. Treasury has documented those networks reaching into Yemen, Iran, China, Hong Kong, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Trump administration redesignated Ansarallah, the Houthis' formal name, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in March 2025. That reversed a February 2021 decision by the Biden administration, which had removed the FTO label over concerns it would worsen Yemen's humanitarian crisis.

Both Sides, Now

The FTO designation makes it unlawful in many circumstances to knowingly provide money or resources to the group and authorizes additional financial and immigration restrictions. The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, chaired by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), held the Sept. 1 hearing to examine whether those measures are actually cutting off the Houthis' weapons supply.

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) raised the humanitarian side of that question. UNICEF reported that 10.8 million Yemeni children needed humanitarian assistance at the start of the year, and that about 40% of Yemen's health facilities were only partially functioning or completely out of service. UNICEF also reported in March that 19.5 million people in Yemen overall required humanitarian assistance under the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. The World Food Programme warned in July 2025 that funding cuts could leave 4.8 million people in Yemen without life-saving food assistance.

Witnesses at the hearing, including Nadwa Al-Dawsari of the Middle East Institute and Allison Minor of the Atlantic Council's Project for Middle East Integration, focused on the challenge of cutting off weapons networks that can be rebuilt through illicit procurement, while lawmakers weighed that against the cost of tightening pressure on a country already in crisis.

What Happens Next?

The Houthi advance toward the Bab el-Mandeb has added urgency to a debate. Congress has no follow-up vote or action scheduled based on the hearing record. The Trump administration's sanctions and FTO designation remain in place, but lawmakers and witnesses questioned whether those tools are sufficient to degrade the group's military capabilities when procurement networks span multiple countries and use commercial suppliers to move materials. The situation on the ground in Yemen will likely drive whether Congress takes additional action.

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