Houthis Capture Crucial Red Sea Island Off Yemen, Officials Say, tell me about this news in (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/11/world/middleeast/yemen-houthis-bab-al-mandab.html)
11-09-2026
According to reporting on the development, Yemen’s Houthi forces have taken control of Mayyun Island (also known as Perim Island) in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, following a rapid coastal ground offensive. The Times of IsraelKey details of the report include:
- Strategic Location: Mayyun/Perim Island sits directly in the narrow Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen’s southwestern coast, dividing the strait into two primary shipping lanes. Controlling this position gives the Houthis direct vantage over the maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The Times of Israel
- The Advance: The capture followed the withdrawal of Yemeni government-aligned forces after days of heavy fighting along the Red Sea coastline, which also saw Houthi forces seize the key port city of Mokha (Mocha) and the nearby Hanish Islands. The Times of Israel
- Regional & Global Impact: The development significantly escalates concerns over international commercial shipping and oil transit routes. It threatens to unravel the fragile truce that had largely kept Yemen’s civil war contained since 2022, prompting retaliatory airstrikes and raising alarms over potential major disruptions to global energy markets. CP24+ 1