The Houthis Take Perim and Petroline Is Hit as Freight Rates Cross $1 Million a Day
Operational Overview Saudi Arabia’s workaround to the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz came under direct attack last week. Saudi Arabia diverted crude to the Red Sea port of Yanbu via the East-West pipeline. On September 10, a pumping station on the pipeline was attacked and preemptively shut down. On the same day, Houthi ...
On September 10, Houthi forces seized control of Mokha, the Hanish Islands, and Perim Island, effectively taking charge of Yemen's Red Sea coastline. This territorial expansion gives the group a stronger advantage in projecting power over maritime commerce and access to smuggling routes. The proximity to the Bab el-Mandeb shipping channel allows the Houthis to leverage cheaper munitions against Saudi shipping, reserving more advanced munitions for threats to Saudi Arabia, Israeli assets, or U.S. interests.
The capture of Perim Island effectively grants the Houthi group control over the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb without their intention to seize the strait itself. The Yemeni coast guard's port at Mokha will lose its capacity to interdict, while Saudi forces will struggle to protect a larger stretch of coastline.
Written by urgent.news from Hellenic Shipping News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.