Houthi forces in Yemen have captured Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to Yemeni officials and news agencies. The move came days after a swift ground offensive pushed government-allied forces out of the Red Sea port city of Mokha and its port.
Perim Island, also known as Mayun, sits inside the strait that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Ships heading between Asia and Europe pass through that narrow channel, which makes the island one of the most sensitive pieces of ground in the region.
Shipping route under new pressure
The BBC reported that Houthi fighters had reached the island on Thursday before a local government source said the group had captured it. The AFP news agency quoted eyewitnesses and a local official saying the same. Mokha lies less than 50 miles from the strait, so fighters on the coast can watch traffic passing in both directions.
Maritime security groups advised shipping companies to stay alert and follow official warnings while transiting the Red Sea. Vessels that already avoid parts of the route now have one more stretch to worry about.
Saudi oil exports at risk
Saudi Arabia has shipped oil in bulk to customers in Asia using tankers that depart south, past Yemen and through the Bab al-Mandab, before reaching the open Indian Ocean. The BBC reported that this traffic is now at risk as the Houthis threaten vessels passing near the coast. The wider conflict between the Houthis, Yemen's internationally recognized government and Saudi Arabia has contributed to a surge in oil prices.
A war entering its second decade
Yemen's two sides have been at war since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led military coalition began a bombing campaign soon after to try to restore the government, and the country has been mired in conflict for more than ten years.