Iranian media: Houthis take control of Strait of Mandeb after seizing Mayyun Island

Iranian media reports that Yemen's Houthis have taken control of the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait by seizing Mayyun Island, also known as Perim Island. Mayyun Island, located at the center of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, is a crucial monitoring point for the vital maritime passage. According to two Yemeni sources, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have withdrawn from Perim Island.

This development follows the Houthis' seizure of the western coastal city of Mocha, prompting government forces to retreat toward the south and the city of Dhubab. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree stated that navigation in the Red Sea is safe with the exception of Saudi ships, indicating the group's control over the Strait of Mandeb.

The strait, known in Arabic as the "Gate of Tears" due to its history of shipwrecks, connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean. Measuring about 100 kilometers long and just 30 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, it separates Yemen from Djibouti and Eritrea on the Horn of Africa. As a major shipping lane, the strait is crucial for global trade, with oil tankers and cargo ships using it to reach the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, thereby significantly reducing travel distances between Asia, Europe, and North America.

In 2024, as the Houthis intensified attacks on Red Sea shipping during the Gaza war, Suez Canal traffic declined sharply and has not yet recovered, according to IMF PortWatch data analyzed by AFP. The total number of transits dropped from 26,895 vessels in 2023 (73.7 per day) to 14,498 in 2024 and 14,070 in 2025.