Yemen’s Houthis reach strategic island at mouth of vital Bab el-Mandeb shipping lane

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed control of the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, according to Yemeni government sources. The move aimed to strengthen their hold on a crucial global shipping route amid the escalating Middle East conflict. Earlier, the internationally recognized Yemeni government reported that its forces had abandoned Perim, while the Houthis had also seized the mainland Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab, located opposite the island.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, situated on the Arabian Peninsula's other side from the Strait of Hormuz, holds immense strategic value. If the Houthis gain control of this waterway, Iran could gain a significant advantage in its ongoing conflict with the US. The reduction of shipping through this second major transit route might lead to soaring oil prices.

Satellite imagery from July 12, 2026, indicates the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping waterway and gateway to the Red Sea, as shown in a Reuters handout. Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter and a close ally of the US, has long relied on the Red Sea route due to the closure of the Hormuz Strait, through which oil constituted nearly a fifth of global shipments.

This ongoing conflict between Iran and the US has seen a series of retaliatory attacks on shipping in the Gulf, with US President Donald Trump tightening economic pressure on Tehran. Diplomacy remains stalled, with Iran affirming a meeting in Oman on Monday for discussions on safe commercial shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

Satellite imagery from September 10, 2026, revealed smoke in the vicinity of Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline, potentially indicating an incident. Saudi Arabia has been utilizing the pipeline to augment crude exports from its eastern coast to the Red Sea, as US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupted shipping through the Hormuz Strait.

This disruption led to a 2.3 million barrels per day (bpd) decrease in Saudi crude supply in August, bringing it to a 30-year low of 6 million bpd. Global oil prices were expected to surpass $100 a barrel for the first time since mid-May, with vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz falling to seven on Thursday, below the 10-day average of 10.

The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, claimed safe navigation for all vessels except Saudi ships under a previously declared ban. He vowed to continue the blockade until the aggression against Yemen concludes and the blockade on his people is lifted. The Yemeni government announced plans to counter the Houthi offensive along the Red Sea coastline, deploying weapons and aircraft to eliminate any movement of the "terrorist" militias.

This included the road leading to the coastal city of Mokha, captured by the group on Thursday, along with the Red Sea islands of Hanish. Colonel Majed al-Nazili urged civilians to avoid the route between Taiz and Mokha and to refrain from interacting with Houthi equipment. Although Iran considers the Houthis allies, it denies providing military guidance, stating they are not a proxy force.