Tiny Yemen Island Becomes Iran's New Battleground
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Perim Island, Yemen — This small, barren island sits in the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, a narrow waterway that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Its sand and rock landscape looks forgotten by time. But its location has made it a key prize in the growing conflict with Iran.
Iran-backed Houthi forces have turned the island into a military outpost. From here, they can threaten ships passing through one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
The Strait of Bab el-Mandeb is a chokepoint. Roughly 12 percent of global trade passes through it. Any disruption there affects oil prices, cargo shipping, and supply chains worldwide.
For years, Perim Island was mostly ignored. Now, it is at the center of a wider struggle for control of the region's most important sea routes.