The Iran-backed Houthis are seeking to control the whole Yemeni Red Sea coast, which would further consolidate their leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait - one of the busiest and most contested global maritime chokepoints.
The militant group has already declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, and Houthi dominance over the Bab el-Mandeb waterway would further isolate Gulf oil producers from their main shipping routes.
