Houthis seize key island in Bab al-Mandeb as Iran's reach over global shipping grows
Iran-backed Houthis have seized Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, potentially expanding Tehran's influence over a second major global shipping chokepoint as the war between Iran and the United States disrupts traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Two Yemeni government sources confirmed the capture of the island to CNN. A day earlier, the Houthis seized the port city of Mokha as part of an offensive to expand their control along Yemen's Red Sea coast.
Bab al-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a major trade route between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal. Its importance has increased since the start of the U.S.-Iran war, as Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on Red Sea export routes to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed to most shipping.
Before the island was captured, Tarik Saleh, a vice president in Yemen's internationally recognized government, warned that taking Perim could allow the Houthis to gain control of the strait itself. Removing them from the island would require “a massive international force and the navies,” he told CNN.
The advance comes after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke twice with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday and urged him to authorize strikes against the Houthis. Trump declined, according to CNN. The United States has instead increased intelligence and targeting support for the Saudi campaign while stopping short of directly participating in strikes.
An effective Houthi blockade of Bab al-Mandeb could force U.S. military intervention and complicate Washington's efforts to keep shipping moving through Hormuz, CNN reported. It could also disrupt Saudi diesel shipments to Europe at a time of elevated fuel prices.
The Houthis have said their advance does not threaten international shipping and that they are targeting only Saudi vessels.