Houthis take control of key shipping island
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The gist
Houthi fighters took Perim Island and Yemen's Red Sea coast, completing control of the Bab al-Mandeb.
The strait is a gateway for Saudi oil and global trade, so shipping and.
Background
The Houthis have been at war with Yemen's Saudi-backed government since 2014. In a rapid offensive this week, they captured the port city of Mokha, then advanced along the coast and onto islands in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The strait is the southern gateway to the Red Sea and a route for Saudi oil exports, and traffic there had already fallen during an earlier Houthi campaign against shipping.
How it unfolded
- Sep 10, 2026Houthi fighters captured the Red Sea port city of Mokha from Yemeni government forces, according to Yemeni officials.
- Sep 10, 2026Houthis also took control of Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea after rocket attacks and a ground assault using boats, military sources said.
- Sep 11, 2026Boats carrying armed Houthi fighters reached Mayyun (Perim) Island after government forces withdrew the previous day, a local government official and eyewitnesses said.
- Sep 11, 2026Houthi fighters reached the coastal town of Dhubab, and a source told AFP the group had completed its takeover of the Bab al-Mandeb area.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The Houthis said they pose no threat to international shipping but reiterated their threat to target vessels from Saudi Arabia, and a spokesman said they will announce details of a 'large-scale military operation'.
- Analysts
- Al Jazeera's Yousef Mawry said the Houthis 'have the strong hand now' with leverage and control of Bab al-Mandeb and Red Sea shipping traffic.
- Analysts
- Ahmed Nagi of the International Crisis Group said the offensive lets the Houthis increase influence around Bab al-Mandeb and protect themselves from ground operations from that area.
- Caution
- Verisk Maplecroft analyst Hamish Kinnear called the capture of Mokha a 'major blow' to Saudi Arabia, raising the possibility of a tighter Houthi grip on the strait.
Still unverified
The exact cause of fires along Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq-Yanbu oil pipeline, seen in satellite imagery, and the extent of damage are not confirmed. Different figures for Saudi oil production in August have been published by the IEA and OPEC.