Iranian allies captured a strategic Red Sea island in a vital waterway. Here’s what to know

Iran-backed rebels seized the strategic Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait on Friday, according to Yemeni government sources. This move may bolster Tehran's control over a crucial global shipping route. A day prior, the Huthi group captured the port town of Mocha, aiming to secure the country's Red Sea coast. These developments sparked alarm globally, affecting shipping and oil prices, and potentially triggering a new front in the US-Iran conflict.

Bab al-Mandeb, a narrow waterway linking Asia and Europe, is vital for transporting goods, including millions of barrels of oil daily, as well as maintaining essential trade between Asia and Europe. Its significance has increased amid the US-Iran war, as Saudi Arabia relies on its Red Sea export route to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has largely blocked to shipping traffic.

The situation unfolded amid a broader regional escalation of the Iran-US war, following Tehran's threat to intensify hostilities against the United States. The conflict in Yemen began in 2014 when Huthi rebels took control of the capital, Sanaa, and forced the internationally recognized government into exile. Saudi Arabia subsequently launched a military campaign to oust the rebels, while Iran provided the Huthis with weapons and training.

As a result, Yemen is divided, with the Huthis governing the capital and the northwest, while the government and allied factions control the south and east. Approximately 22 million people, or half the population, require humanitarian aid. Recently, fighting between Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and the Huthis intensified, with the Red Sea emerging as a strategic battleground for Tehran's efforts to disrupt the global economy and compel concessions from Washington.