In a major military escalation, Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized the strategic island of Mayun (also known as Perim) located inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern entrance of the Red Sea.
The takeover follows a rapid coastal offensive in which Houthi forces captured the vital port city of Mokha and pushed further south along Yemen’s western coast.
Control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait
The capture of Mayun Island gives the Houthis a direct foothold in the narrow, 17-mile-wide choke point linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Military analysts point out that controlling the island and adjacent coastal towns grants the group effective sway over one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors.
Escalation and impact on energy markets
The military push comes amid expanding regional tensions and renewed Houthi drone and missile strikes against Saudi infrastructure.
While Houthi officials claimed international shipping remains safe – excluding Saudi-flagged vessels – the advance has rattled global energy markets.
Saudi Arabia, which relies heavily on Red Sea routes as an alternative to the Persian Gulf, launched retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi positions near Mokha.
Threats to global trade
International observers warn that sustained Houthi control over the strait could force commercial tankers and container ships to bypass the Suez Canal entirely.
Rerouting around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope would sharply increase transit times, shipping costs and global crude oil prices, deepening the supply chain disruption.
