Houthis seize strategic Perim Island as Red Sea tensions escalate

Two Yemeni government sources said the Houthis captured the island on Friday, a day after taking control of the key port town of Mocha on Yemen’s Red Sea

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized the strategically important Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, raising fresh concerns over global shipping, oil supplies and the widening conflict between Iran and the United States.

Two Yemeni government sources said the Houthis captured the island on Friday, a day after taking control of the key port town of Mocha on Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

The developments could significantly strengthen the Houthis’ position along one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides a major shipping link between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.

Although the waterway is less important to global oil flows than the Strait of Hormuz, millions of barrels of oil and large volumes of other commercial goods pass through it every day. Its importance has increased amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, with Saudi Arabia relying more heavily on its Red Sea route to bypass disruptions around Hormuz.

The Houthi advance follows a renewed escalation in Yemen after months of relative stalemate between the Iran-backed group and Saudi-backed forces. The conflict has intensified alongside the broader confrontation between Tehran and Washington.

The Houthis had launched an offensive in recent weeks to capture Mocha, which had remained under the control of Saudi-backed National Resistance Forces led by Tarik Saleh, a senior figure in Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Houthi forces reportedly attacked the port with rockets before claiming control of the town.

Perim Island, located directly within the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, holds particular strategic significance because control of the island could allow the Houthis to exert greater influence over maritime traffic passing through the narrow waterway.

Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group, said the Houthi gains could strengthen their ability to influence the Bab al-Mandeb while providing greater protection against potential ground operations.

The latest escalation comes after tensions between Yemen’s rival factions intensified following an incident involving an Iranian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation to Sanaa. Saudi Arabia subsequently carried out strikes on the airport runway, prompting the Houthis to accuse Riyadh of violating the existing de facto truce.

The rebels later responded with measures targeting Saudi-linked shipping and infrastructure, further raising concerns about the security of regional trade and energy supplies.

The seizure of Perim and Mocha could now give the Houthis greater territorial reach along Yemen’s western coastline and increase Iran’s strategic leverage in the Red Sea. However, analysts caution that Yemen’s shifting front lines make the situation highly fluid.

The developments could also deepen Yemen’s already severe humanitarian crisis. The United Nations has repeatedly described the country as facing one of the world’s most serious humanitarian emergencies.

A sustained Houthi blockade or disruption of the Bab al-Mandeb could force the United States and its allies to consider additional military measures to keep commercial shipping moving. It could also complicate Saudi Arabia’s ability to transport fuel to European markets at a time of heightened pressure on global energy supplies.

Oil markets have already reacted to the escalating tensions. Brent crude surged to around $105 a barrel after reports of Houthi advances along the Red Sea, although prices later declined as Gulf Arab states prepared for renewed diplomatic engagement with Iran.

Houthi officials have sought to ease international concerns, saying their actions are directed at Saudi-linked vessels rather than commercial shipping generally. Nevertheless, analysts warn that the next move by the Saudi-led coalition could determine whether the latest territorial gains trigger another major phase of fighting.

“This is not the end of the battle,” Nagi said, warning that further developments could emerge in the coming days.