Houthis Seize Key Red Sea Island, Tightening Grip on Global Shipping Lane
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Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis took control of Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, four Yemeni government sources told Reuters. The move tightens their hold on a vital global shipping route amid a widening Middle East war.
Earlier, two sources from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government said its forces had withdrawn from Perim. The Houthis also captured Dhubab, a mainland Red Sea coastal town facing the island.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a narrow waterway between Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Roughly 12% of global trade passes through it, making it one of the world's most important shipping corridors.