Houthi Forces Seize Perim Island, Gaining Physical Control of Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Yemen's Houthi rebels have captured the strategic Perim Island and adjacent coastal cities, effectively sealing off the Red Sea's southern chokepoint and trapping Saudi oil exports.
By Hao Li
- Saudi-Backed Coalition
- Views the seizure as a direct Iranian-backed escalation designed to choke global energy supplies and isolate the kingdom.
- Houthi Command
- Frames the offensive as a legitimate territorial reclamation to expel foreign coalition forces from Yemen's western coast.
- Global Energy Markets
- Focuses on the immediate threat to supply chains, noting that the loss of the Red Sea route removes the last viable bypass for Middle Eastern crude.
Perspectives this story doesn't cover
- Egyptian Suez Canal Authority
- Asian energy importers
Why it matters
The seizure gives Houthi forces point-blank control over a waterway that handles millions of barrels of oil daily, effectively trapping Saudi Arabia's primary export route while the Strait of Hormuz remains contested.
Maritime commanders in Riyadh and Washington face an immediate routing decision this weekend after Houthi forces seized physical control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, leaving commercial and military vessels with no secure passage between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.[1][2]
The tactical shift materialized on Friday when Houthi fighters captured Perim Island—also known as Mayun—a volcanic landmass that splits the 17-mile-wide strait into two narrow shipping channels. The island's fall followed the capture of the mainland coastal city of Dhubab and the strategic port of Mokha on Thursday, forcing Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces to withdraw into the southwestern Lahij province.[2][3][4][5]
The advance replaces the Houthis' previous reliance on long-range harassment with direct physical command over the chokepoint. Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer of defense studies at King's College London, noted the severity of the geographic shift: "In the 2024 disruption, the Houthis were striking shipping from further inland, now they're controlling the coastline, very close to shipping, particularly Perim Island."[1][2]
For Saudi Arabia, the loss of the Bab el-Mandeb effectively seals a geographic trap. Following strikes on Iranian infrastructure earlier in 2026, Tehran militarized the Strait of Hormuz on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula. In response, Saudi Aramco had increasingly relied on its East-West pipeline to pump crude to the Red Sea coast, bypassing Hormuz to export via the Bab el-Mandeb.[1][2][3][4]
For Saudi Arabia, the loss of the Bab el-Mandeb effectively seals a geographic trap.
That alternative route is now compromised. During the second quarter of 2026, approximately 8.1 million barrels of oil passed through the strait daily, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The tightening vice on both peninsular exits has already impacted output; Saudi crude supply dropped by 2.3 million barrels per day in August to a multi-decade low of 6 million barrels per day, pushing global Brent crude prices above the $100 per barrel threshold.[2][3]
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea announced the conclusion of the offensive on Friday, framing it as an operation to expel coalition forces from the western coast. In a broadcast statement, Sarea declared that "maritime navigation is safe for all companies, with the exception of Saudi ships," explicitly targeting the kingdom's export capacity.[2][4]
The Yemeni government's National Defense Council convened Thursday as Mokha fell, warning civilians to avoid the coastal roads leading to Taiz. Coalition aircraft responded with approximately 40 airstrikes targeting Houthi positions in the western provinces, though the bombardment failed to halt the amphibious operation against Perim Island.[2][4][5]
The dual-chokepoint reality forces a strategic recalculation for the United States Navy, which is already heavily committed to protecting traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. With the Bab el-Mandeb now hosting hostile coastal batteries and observation posts, coalition vessels must either run a gauntlet of point-blank fire or reroute entirely.[1][3][5]
Shipping operators are already adjusting to the closure. Traffic through the corridor had previously fallen by 60 percent during the 2023 and 2024 disruptions. Now, Saudi Arabia is evaluating longer, more expensive alternatives, including pumping oil north through Egyptian pipelines or the Suez Canal to reach the Mediterranean, adding thousands of miles to Asian delivery routes.[1][2][3]
What to know
- Houthi forces captured Perim Island and the coastal city of Dhubab, securing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- The advance places Houthi batteries directly on the 17-mile-wide maritime chokepoint.
- Saudi Arabia had been relying on the Red Sea route to bypass the contested Strait of Hormuz.
- Houthi command declared the strait safe for all commercial shipping except Saudi vessels.
- Saudi crude supply fell to 6 million barrels per day in August amid the tightening transit routes.
Where opinion splits
The Saudi-Backed Coalition's View
The coalition views the island's fall as a critical failure of maritime security that traps the kingdom's primary economic engine.
For Riyadh and its allies, the loss of Perim Island represents the closing of a geographic trap. With the Strait of Hormuz already compromised by Iranian naval forces, the Bab el-Mandeb served as the essential release valve for Saudi crude, pumped via the East-West pipeline to the Red Sea. Coalition officials argue that the Houthi advance is not merely a local territorial dispute, but a coordinated Iranian strategy to hold global energy markets hostage by simultaneously choking both of the Arabian Peninsula's maritime exits.
The Houthi Command's View
Houthi leadership frames the offensive as a necessary operation to secure Yemeni territorial waters and expel foreign forces.
Houthi military spokespeople have characterized the capture of Mokha, Dhubab, and Perim Island as a successful campaign to reclaim sovereignty over Yemen's western coast. By explicitly stating that the strait remains open to all international shipping except Saudi vessels, the Houthi command is attempting to isolate Riyadh diplomatically and economically. They argue that their control of the chokepoint is a legitimate defensive measure against a coalition that has subjected Yemen to years of airstrikes and blockades.
Global Energy Markets' View
Energy analysts are pricing in the reality that Middle Eastern oil now lacks a secure maritime route to global buyers.
Market observers note that the physical occupation of Perim Island fundamentally changes the risk calculus for shipping operators. While previous disruptions involved long-range drone and missile harassment, coastal batteries on the island can now target vessels at point-blank range. With over 8 million barrels of oil passing through the strait daily, economists warn that the necessity of rerouting tankers around the Cape of Good Hope or through limited overland pipelines will permanently elevate transit costs and sustain crude prices above the $100 threshold.
Sources
Source coverage
5 outlets
3 viewpoints surfaced
- [1]The GuardianSaudi-Backed Coalition
Iran's Houthi allies capture strategic island on vital oil shipping route
Read on The Guardian → - [2]TIMEHouthi Command
Yemen's Houthis Reach Strategic Island in Key Shipping Route
Read on TIME → - [3]The HinduSaudi-Backed Coalition
West Asia conflict highlights: Yemen's Houthis reach strategic island at mouth of Bab al-Mandeb
Read on The Hindu → - [4]Middle East EyeHouthi Command
Houthis eye 'full control' of Bab el-Mandeb, as Saudi-backed forces reel from offensive
Read on Middle East Eye → - [5]The Defence BlogGlobal Energy Markets
Yemen's Houthis seize island that controls key Red Sea strait
Read on The Defence Blog →
Comments
More in Defense & Security
See all →AUMF Doctrine
How the 2001 AUMF's 'Associated Forces' Clause Legally Authorizes U.S. Military Action Against Non-State Actors
6 sources
Terminal Ballistics
The Cubic Root of Mass: How the Physics of High-Explosive Fragmentation Determines Lethality Radius
8 sources
Air Defense Economics
The Asymmetric Cost of Air Defense: Comparing Interceptor Prices to Loitering Munition Threats
7 sources
Naval Procurement
US Authorizes Foreign Shipbuilders to Construct Navy Vessels Under New Procurement Directive
3 sources
Every angle. Every day.
Get Defense & Security stories with full source coverage and perspective breakdowns delivered to your inbox.