Houthis report gains around Yemen’s key Red Sea shipping route
Reports of Houthi control of Perim Island and Mokha have raised the stakes around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, while fighting has displaced at least 46,000 people.
Iran-backed Houthi forces have reportedly captured Perim Island at the mouth of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, consolidating their position along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast.
A source from Yemen’s internationally recognised government told the BBC that the Houthis seized the strategic island. Military sources separately said the group had captured the port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed pro-government forces, while a Yemeni military official told AFP that the Houthis controlled the entire coastline.
The claims have not been independently confirmed. The Houthi statement announcing the success of its operation did not mention Perim Island, and the extent and durability of the reported territorial gains remain unclear.
The Houthis said maritime navigation remained safe for all companies except Saudi vessels, repeating a warning directed at Saudi shipping. There is no evidence in the source material that international shipping has been disrupted.
Perim lies at the narrowest point of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a major route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and access towards the Suez Canal. The development follows the effective collapse in July of a truce that had largely held for more than four years.
Fighting and Saudi-led air strikes in support of pro-government forces have displaced at least 46,000 people since the offensive began, according to the International Organization for Migration. The agency warned that the number was rising rapidly.
