Houthis Seize Key Red Sea Island, Port, Threatening Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Iran-backed Houthi rebels advanced to Yemen's strategic Perim Island on Friday, following their seizure of the Red Sea port city of Mokha on Thursday.

The Houthis now control land along the Yemeni side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Perim Island, also known as Mayyun, which divides the strait. Yemeni government forces withdrew from Perim and the coastal town of Dhubab. Six missiles struck Mokha port on Friday, and Houthi media accused Saudi Arabia of two airstrikes on Mokha airport.

This rapid ground offensive marks the Houthis' biggest territorial expansion in years and follows a major offensive against Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The conflict has intensified after a 2022 cease-fire. On Tuesday, Houthi drones and missiles wounded 73 people and set oil facilities ablaze in four Saudi cities. It is 30 kilometers wide at its narrowest point.

Brent crude surpassed $107 a barrel on Friday. The Houthi advance raises concerns about simultaneous disruption at two vital global trade chokepoints, the Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has already disrupted. Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi warned Thursday that the Bab el-Mandeb must not be allowed to become another Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Trump twice on Thursday to launch strikes against the Houthis, but Trump declined direct military intervention. Hazem al-Assad from the Houthi politburo stated there is no cause for international concern over free navigation through the strait. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held phone calls with Pakistan's chief of defence forces and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister on Thursday night. No official Houthi announcement confirms control of the strait.