Iran-aligned Houthis seized control of Yemen’s port city of Mocha yesterday and advanced down the Red Sea coast to strategic islands, military sources said, hours after President Donald Trump said he expected the Iran war to end after the US midterm elections.

Yemeni government military sources said the Houthis had gained further leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the southern outlet of the Red Sea and one of the world’s most important shipping routes, and had reached the islands of Hanish.

If the Houthis were to gain control of the waterway on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz, it could give their sponsor Iran a critical advantage in the war with the United States, reducing supplies through a second major transit corridor and sending oil prices surging.

It would also make it harder for Trump to find an exit from a war that has hurt his Republican Party’s electoral prospects ahead of the November midterms.

“I think war is going to end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer. They’re desperate to try and affect the election.” Donald Trump

Yemen’s Houthi-run humanitarian operations coordination centre said in a statement that Red Sea navigation is safe for all shipping companies except for Saudi vessels.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has relied on the Red Sea route since the Iran war effectively closed Hormuz.

Separately, the Wall Street Journal yesterday cited US and Middle East officials as saying Iran had resumed producing ballistic missiles from existing components while working in underground facilities.

Brent crude prices jumped as much as 4 percent on Thursday to $105 a barrel on concern over disruption to supply routes.

The war and subsequent increase in fuel prices have helped drive Trump’s popularity to record lows. He said Iran was trying to influence the midterm elections, which will determine whether his Republican Party retains control of Congress.