Houthi fighters have seized Perim Island, a strategically critical chokepoint in the Red Sea.
The island, also known as Mayyun, sits inside the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime corridors. Houthi forces took control over the weekend after troops loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized government pulled out. The takeover has intensified concerns about further disruption to global shipping.
According to a report, government officials, Houthi representatives, and witnesses who spoke with the BBC all confirmed that the fighters arrived at the island by boat.
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The Perim Island seizure did not happen in isolation. It followed the Houthi capture of Mokha, a Red Sea port city, and is part of a broader push by the group along Yemen’s western coastline. That advance has raised alarms about what comes next for one of the planet’s busiest shipping lanes.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait is a narrow passage connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Enormous volumes of global trade pass through it daily, making any military presence there a serious concern for international commerce.
The Houthis are an Iran-backed movement that has been a central player in Yemen’s long-running conflict. Their expanding foothold along the western coast now includes both a major port city and a strategically positioned island at one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints.
