The Saudi-backed Yemeni forces are retreating from Bab al-Mandab while the Houthis tighten their control over Egypt.
Yemen's southern armed forces announced that they were withdrawing from Dubab Airport and the Bab al-Mandab area west of Taez province, redeploying towards Aden as Houthi forces push south along the blockaded sea coast.
The force described the move as a military adjustment to beef up defenses of Aden and reorganize front lines, although it effectively removes the strategic bottleneck connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The withdrawal follows weeks of fighting after Ansar Allah launched an offensive along Yemen's west coast in September. Government forces attempted a counteroffensive in October to recapture coastal territory, but advances around Gaza undermined that effort.