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Houthis Seize Perim Island, Claim Control of Yemen's Red Sea Coast

1 hour ago

Iran-backed Houthis say they have taken Perim Island and the port of Mokha, tightening their hold on the Bab al-Mandab shipping lane.

Yemen's Houthi movement says it has pushed deep along the western Red Sea coast and now holds Perim Island, a small but strategic landmass at the mouth of the Bab al-Mandab Strait. A source inside Yemen's internationally recognised government confirmed the capture to the BBC. The advance strengthens the Iran-backed group's control over one of the world's busiest shipping arteries.

The seizure of the island, also called Mayyun, followed the fall of Mokha a day earlier. Military sources said Houthi fighters took the port city from Saudi-backed pro-government forces. A Yemeni military official told AFP that the group now holds the full length of the coastline.

Government troops pulled back from Perim on Friday. Witnesses and news agencies then reported Houthi units crossing onto the island. In a subsequent statement, the group declared its campaign to drive out Saudi-backed forces a "success" and said shipping remained open to every company apart from Saudi-flagged vessels. The Houthis had earlier insisted they were no danger to global trade while keeping up their pledge to strike Saudi ships. Their statement made no reference to Perim itself.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the "large-scale" operation began on 3 September in response to what he called Saudi Arabia's "blatant aggression" against "our dear people". He said fighters had cleared "Saudi enemy" forces from six districts across the Taiz and Hodeidah regions and claimed that hundreds of troops had been killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Saudi Arabia has made no public statement on the recent events.

Riyadh presses Washington for action

As the offensive gathered pace, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, made a direct appeal to US President Donald Trump for military intervention against the Houthis, according to two people familiar with the exchange who spoke to CBS News, the BBC's North American media partner.

Trump has held back from committing American forces. Instead, he has offered to share intelligence and help with targeting, the same sources said. A senior official in his administration told the BBC: "We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen government regarding regional stability."

Why the strait matters

Perim sits at the tightest point of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the channel linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Its value has climbed since the Strait of Hormuz was effectively shut during the confrontation between the United States and Iran. With that route closed, Saudi Arabia has leaned on the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab to move oil to buyers across Asia. The fighting has fed a jump in global oil prices.

The human toll has been heavy. Hundreds of people are reported to have died and thousands more have fled their homes since the Houthis opened their south-western offensive a week ago. A Saudi-led coalition has answered with air raids on Houthi-held zones in western Yemen to back government fighters. The Houthis, in turn, have fired missiles and drones at cities and oil sites in southern Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom faced a separate blow on Friday. The Saudi foreign affairs ministry said drones flown from Iraq hit the East-West oil pipeline, prompting a shutdown as a precaution and leaving several people hurt. Iraq's government condemned the strike.

Houthis, Perim Island, Bab al-Mandab Strait, Yemen conflict, Red Sea shipping, Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, oil prices

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