Yemen's Iranian-Backed Houthis Seize an Island in a Key Strait, Opening a New Front in the Iran War
The takeover by Iran-backed rebels threatens a shipping lane that carries much of Saudi Arabia’s oil, with shipping through the strait down about 60%.
- On Friday, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured Mayyun Island, a strategic location at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, completing their push to control the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
- Saudi Arabia relies on the 28-kilometer-wide Bab al-Mandeb channel for oil transit as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, but renewed Houthi threats have curtailed that activity, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence.
- A senior military official with Yemen's government blamed "lack of coordination" between Yemen's army and allied militias for the loss of Mokha, which Houthis seized Thursday.
- Over 46,000 people have fled the surge in fighting, with the U.N. migration agency reporting Friday that "overnight, large numbers of people were reportedly seen leaving Mokha with their belongings."
- Crude prices soared above $100 a barrel this week, giving Tehran leverage, as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Saudi officials discussed diplomatic efforts Thursday to "restore stability.
46 Articles
46 Articles
Iran-backed Houthis seize key island, opening new front in Iran war
CAIRO — Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured a strategic island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, two officials said Friday, opening a new front in the Iran war and further threatening Saudi oil exports through one of the world’s key shipping lanes. The Houthis’ biggest territorial gains in years, along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait , could boost Iran’s strategy of driving up world oil and gas prices to pressure the United States. Sau…
Yemeni rebels took control of the island of Perim, also known as Mayyun, in the heart of the Strait on Thursday, September 10, a major setback for Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis, Yemeni pro-Iranian fighters, seized on Friday, 11 September, the key island of Mayyoun in the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb. With the war in the Middle East, which saw Iran's lockdown of Ormuz, another strategic strait, the importance of Bab el-Mandeb has increased for international maritime navigation.
Durango Herald
Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis seize an island in a key strait, opening a new front in the Iran war
Yemen's Houthi rebels ride a motorbike during a mobilization campaign in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP Photo)(AP Photo) CAIRO (AP) — Yemen ’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured a strategic island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, two officials said Friday, opening a new front in the Iran war and further threatening Saudi oil exports through one of the world’s key shipping lanes. The Houthis’ biggest territorial gains in y…
Yemen's Houthis take over strait vital to global shipping
The development is likely to deepen the Middle East war's impact on international commerce, months after the strategic Strait of Hormuz was blockaded by Iran, which hailed its Yemeni allies' advance on Friday. After a week-long offensive that has left hundreds dead, the Houthis appeared to be in control of territory along the Yemeni side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea and, in turn, the Suez Canal. A local offici…
Iran-backed rebels in Yemen seized the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, two Yemeni government sources confirmed to CNN. The move potentially expands Tehran's influence over another key global maritime trade route. A day earlier, the Houthi movement seized the port city of Moha in a bid to seize control of the country's Red Sea coast. The news has drawn worldwide attention amid concerns about the potential impact o…
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