DOMINANT ANGLE
Canberra is first feeling the oil shockwave of the Houthi offensive, more than its military or diplomatic aspect
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The Houthists now control the port of Mokha and nearby islands in the Bab al-Mandeb strait, through which around 12% of global trade passes under normal circumstances (ABC News Australia)
- 02
A Yemeni resident in Saudi Arabia was killed in Taif by debris from an intercepted drone, the first death announced by Saudi authorities, after more than 80 injured had already been reported (PerthNow)
- 03
The International Organization for Migration has recorded over 100,000 displaced Yemenis since the intensification of fighting, mainly within the country (PerthNow)
ANALYSIS
Canberra, September 19, 2026. For the Australian press, the Houthi offensive in the Red Sea is primarily seen through its impact on global markets. ABC News Australia summarizes a week in which the Yemeni rebels, backed by Iran, have made their way down the Red Sea coast to a strategic chokepoint, threatening Saudi oil exports. The media outlet notes that this advance, the most significant by the rebels in years, has reignited the 12-year-old Yemeni civil war and already driven up global fuel prices. It also gives Iran a new lever, as Washington eases its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula.
The Houthi rebels have taken the port of Mokha and several islands near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, through which around 12% of global trade normally passes, and are now 32 kilometers from Djibouti, where US forces are based. An attack on the Saudi east-west oil pipeline, attributed to Iraqi militias close to Iran, worsens the situation for the kingdom, which also sees the rebels eyeing oil fields in eastern Yemen. Riyadh's most important ally, the United States, appears to be staying out of the conflict. ABC recalls that the Houthi rebels had already taken Sanaa in 2014, prompting the Saudi intervention in 2015 and a war that only experienced a lull in 2022.
The humanitarian aspect is not absent: PerthNow reports the death of a Yemeni resident in Saudi Arabia, killed in Taif by debris from an intercepted drone, the first death announced by Saudi authorities, after more than 80 injuries were already recorded. The media also relays the testimony of Wahida Omer, 50, who fled her village of Dhubab by boat across the strait, with no news of her husband who stayed behind. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 100,000 Yemenis have been displaced since the intensification of fighting, mainly within the country. Houthi television reported new Saudi strikes on Thursday in the province of Hajjah and near Taiz; the Houthi rebels claim to have shot down a Saudi F-15 on Wednesday, while Riyadh claims hundreds of airstrikes in retaliation.
