Iran-Backed Houthis Capture Key Island, Tightening Grip On Bab Al-Mandeb

Iran-Backed Houthis Capture Key Island, Tightening Grip on Bab al-Mandeb Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen have captured Perim Island, a strategically important island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, further strengthening their position around one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. The development comes after the Houthis seized the nearby Red Sea port city of Mokha, marking a significant expansion of their territorial control along Yemen’s western coastline. Yemeni government sources confirmed the capture of Perim after government forces withdrew from the island Perim, also known as Mayun, sits directly inside the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, between Yemen and Djibouti. Its location gives whoever controls the island a strategic position from which shipping movements through the narrow waterway can be monitored and potentially disrupted. The island effectively divides the strait into two channels. The development has therefore raised concerns about the Houthis’ ability to exert greater pressure on international commercial and energy shipments travelling between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The capture of Perim follows the Houthi seizure of Mokha, a major development that had already brought the group significantly closer to the Bab al-Mandeb. that a senior Yemeni official warned that if the Houthis captured Perim, they could potentially gain control of the strait and that removing them would require a major international military effort. The latest territorial gains could give the Iran-aligned group a stronger position to threaten shipping and protect its coastal territory from ground attacks. The Bab al-Mandeb is a crucial route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides a major maritime connection between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal. The waterway has already experienced significant disruption from Houthi attacks on commercial vessels. Further deterioration could increase shipping costs, insurance premiums and pressure on global energy markets.The importance of the route has become even greater as the Strait of Hormuz faces severe disruption, creating additional concerns over the security of global oil supplies. Saudi Arabia has responded to the Houthi advances with military action, including airstrikes on Mokha airport, according to reports. he escalation threatens to deepen the conflict in Yemen and could undermine the fragile calm that had prevailed since the 2022 ceasefire. More than 46,000 people have reportedly fled Mokha amid the renewed fighting. The Houthi territorial gains come amid a wider confrontation involving Iran, the United States and their regional allies. With the Houthis now holding strategic positions along the western Yemeni coast and around the Bab al-Mandeb, concerns are growing that the conflict could develop into a broader threat to one of the world’s most important shipping corridors. The situation remains fluid as regional governments assess how to respond to the latest Houthi advance.