Houthis tighten grip on key Red Sea shipping chokepoint

Photo — Muhammed Zahid Bulut / Pexels

According to multiple wire and regional outlets, Yemen’s Iran‑aligned Houthi movement has advanced to and captured Perim Island in the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and underpins a major share of global commercial and oil traffic.[6][9][12][14] Yemeni government and coalition sources report intense clashes and airstrikes along Yemen’s western Red Sea coast, including around Mokha port and nearby strategic islands, as forces attempt to prevent the Houthis from consolidating control over key chokepoints.[6][12][14] Control over Perim Island and adjacent coastal positions would allow the Houthis, backed by Iran, to exert direct pressure on shipping lanes used by vessels transiting to and from the Suez Canal, with potential ripple effects on global energy prices and supply chains at a time when the wider US‑Iran war is already driving up fuel costs and disrupting regional security.[3][6][12] Western governments and regional actors, including Saudi Arabia, are closely monitoring the situation, wary that further Houthi gains or attacks on maritime traffic could trigger expanded naval deployments and raise the risk of broader military confrontation in one of the world’s most strategically important sea routes.[6][9][12][14]

Sources: Reuters, AP News, Yeni Safak, Euronews, Anadolu Agency