Houthis consolidate control of Bab el-Mandeb Strait as Yemen crisis worsens

Houthi fighters captured Mayyun Island, also known as Perim, when Saudi-backed government forces withdrew from the position. The island divides the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into two shipping lanes, and its capture gives the Houthis control of both shores of this vital waterway, one of the world's most important routes for international trade and oil shipments. A Houthi spokesperson claimed that navigation through the strait remains safe and normal, describing operations as purely defensive. However, government and Saudi officials dispute this claim, pointing to the scale of the Houthis' recent territorial advances.

The takeover followed the Houthi capture of the port city of Mokha, bringing the entire western coast of Yemen under their control. According to the United Nations, approximately 80,000 people were displaced between 3 and 9 September as fighting intensified. The International Organization for Migration warned that the crisis was deteriorating rapidly. Families fleeing Houthi attacks on the coastal cities of al-Khokha and Mokha have sought refuge in temporary camps in the Dar Saad district of Aden. A Yemeni official told the Washington Post that these territorial gains represent a turning point where Iran is now decisively winning the conflict. Tehran now has leverage over a second major maritime chokepoint alongside the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia, backing the internationally recognised Yemeni government, has intensified military strikes against Houthi positions, with reports indicating that approximately 100 American military advisers are operating in the kingdom to provide intelligence support, though they are not directly engaged in combat.