Houthis control key shipping route after gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast - aljazeera.com

**Houthis seize strategic island at Bab al‑Mandeb, tightening grip on Red Sea corridor**

In the early hours of May 14, Yemen’s Iran‑backed Houthi movement announced that its forces had taken control of the island of Perim, which sits at the narrow mouth of the Bab al‑Mandeb strait. The island, long administered by the internationally recognized Yemeni government, sits at the chokepoint that links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and handles roughly 20 percent of global oil shipments. Houthi officials hailed the operation as a “historic victory” that would allow them to protect Yemeni sovereignty and “ensure the safety of navigation” for all vessels. Satellite imagery released by the group shows Houthi‑affiliated militia units occupying the island’s coastal facilities and raising their flag alongside the Yemeni national emblem.

The capture follows a series of coordinated advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including the seizure of several coastal towns in the Al‑Mahrah and Al‑Hadramawt governorates. The gains have raised concerns among the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have warned that any disruption to the Bab al‑Mandeb could reverberate through global energy markets and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis already gripping Yemen. The United States Central Command issued a statement urging “all parties to refrain from actions that could endanger the free flow of commerce” and pledged to monitor the situation closely, while the United Nations called for an immediate de‑escalation and the reopening of humanitarian corridors.

Analysts caution that the Houthi control of Perim does not automatically translate into a blockade of the strait, as the island’s limited infrastructure cannot single‑handedly halt the passage of large tankers. Nonetheless, the strategic position gives the Houthis leverage to threaten the shipping lane with mines, small‑craft attacks, or the deployment of anti‑ship missiles—capabilities the group has demonstrated in recent months. Regional actors are now weighing diplomatic and naval options, including potential convoy escorts and the reinforcement of existing anti‑piracy patrols, to mitigate the risk of a broader disruption to one of the world’s most vital maritime arteries.