Houthis seize Yemen's entire western coast and strategic Red Sea islands

Yemen's Houthi rebels have taken control of the country's entire western coast and the strategic Red Sea islands of Perim and Zuqar, granting them unparalleled access to the Bab Al Mandeb strait - the critical entry and exit point of the Red Sea. Yemeni officials confirmed that the rebels have seized the entire west and Perim Island, saying, "All of the west has fallen, and Perim Island too.

They have everything now." A second security official confirmed the details, adding that the Houthis also took control of Zuqar, another strategic island. The offensive began with the Houthi seizure of the port city of Mokha on Thursday, followed by Dhubab, the last major town on Yemen's western coast that overlooks the Bab Al Mandeb strait and Perim Island.

The Houthi advance during this major declared wave of US-Iran tit-for-tat attacks in the Gulf could provide Iran with a significant advantage in the war, reducing supplies through a second major transit corridor and potentially driving up oil prices. Perim, covering just 13 square kilometers, lies in the Bab Al Mandeb strait, dividing the strait into two channels and providing an exceptional advantage for monitoring vessels entering or leaving the Red Sea and those on the route towards the Suez Canal.

Zuqar, also a volcanic island with an area of about 130 square kilometers, sits between mainland Yemen and Eritrea, 32km off Yemen's west coast and 90km southwest of Hodeidah. Iranian guidance from the Revolutionary Guards played a key role in the Houthi advance, with Iran promising more funding, weapons, and senior officers to help the rebels escalate their attacks on Saudi Arabia.