Houthis tighten control over vital Red Sea shipping route

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Multiple major outlets report that Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized crucial coastal areas in Yemen and captured Perim Island, a small but strategically vital landmass that helps control access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. This strait is a core artery for global trade and energy flows, linking routes from the Persian Gulf and Asia to Europe via the Suez Canal. Increased Houthi control in this area heightens the risk of attacks or disruptions to commercial vessels, potentially driving up shipping and insurance costs and adding pressure to already volatile oil markets. The development also deepens regional security tensions, drawing in concerns from Gulf states, Western navies that patrol the waterway, and international organizations focused on freedom of navigation and the stability of global supply chains.

Sources: Al Jazeera, NBC News, Associated Press, BBC News, The Guardian, Reuters, New York Times, CNN