Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has reportedly seized Mayun Island, also known as Perim, in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait after government-aligned forces withdrew.
Local officials and witnesses cited by international news organisations said Houthi fighters reached the volcanic island by boat and deployed along the surrounding coastline.
The group also reportedly captured Dhubab after taking the port of Mokha, giving it a stronger position around one of the world’s most important maritime passages.
Bab el-Mandeb connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea and Suez Canal, carrying commercial cargo and energy shipments between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Yemeni government forces were reported to be preparing a counteroffensive, meaning territorial control and the security situation could change rapidly.
The advance raises new risks for civilian communities and international shipping as Yemen’s war becomes increasingly connected to wider regional confrontation involving Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States.
References
Featured image: asamw/Unsplash. The photograph is illustrative and does not show the reported operation.