The Iran-backed militia’s ground offensive has reached the Bab al-Mandab, a Red Sea strait that is a choke point for global trade.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia has seized a strategic Red Sea island, according to two Yemeni government officials, as part of its offensive to control a crucial choke point for global trade.

Houthi militants seized the city of Mokha from Yemeni government forces, two Yemeni officials said on Thursday. The capture gives the Iran-backed militia leverage over a key shipping route.

The Iran-backed militia routed Yemeni government forces in Mokha, putting the group in a stronger position to attack ships in a crucial waterway for global trade.

With its oil-export routes once again under threat, Saudi Arabia is stepping up its military campaign against an old antagonist.

The armed group, based in Yemen and backed by Iran, said it had launched missiles near the vital maritime trade route, in a conflict that shows no sign of abating.

Amid relentless war in the Middle East, the Iran-backed militants seem poised to renew their conflict with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government.