Houthis seize Yemeni island in Bab el-Mandeb, taking control of the strait

Houthi forces move into Bab el-Mandeb after taking Mayyun Island

Usagevpn.com – Houthi fighters have taken control of Mayyun Island and expanded their presence across the Bab el-Mandeb, a narrow Red Sea passage vital to global trade and energy shipments. The move follows a rapid offensive against Yemeni government positions that has also brought the port city of Mokha and Zuqar Island under Houthi control.

Mayyun, also called Perim, is a rocky volcanic island positioned at the centre of the strait. Its location divides the waterway’s narrowest section into two shipping channels, giving any force established there a strategic vantage point over one of the world’s most important maritime routes.

“Boats carrying armed Houthi fighters reached Mayyun Island after government forces withdrew from it yesterday.”

A local government official, speaking anonymously, said the withdrawal had enabled the group to complete its takeover of the island and the surrounding Bab el-Mandeb area. Witnesses described armed men deploying along the shoreline and travelling through the area in military vehicles.

A rapid advance along Yemen’s western coast

The seizure of Mayyun came one day after Houthi forces captured Mokha, a strategically located port on Yemen’s Red Sea coast. Military sources said the group also took Zuqar Island in the southern Red Sea after rocket fire and a ground assault involving boats carrying fighters.

Videos circulating online appeared to show Houthi fighters celebrating in Mokha and displaying weapons and equipment left behind by retreating government forces. The authenticity of those images could not be independently confirmed.

Before the latest offensive, the Houthis controlled roughly one-third of Yemen. Their push toward the coast has intensified a conflict that had already returned to open warfare in recent months, despite years of intermittent diplomatic efforts and previous pauses in large-scale fighting.

Yemen’s internationally recognised government has long warned that the Houthis sought to dominate the Bab el-Mandeb. The Arabic name of the strait is often translated as “Gate of Tears,” reflecting its historical reputation as a dangerous and consequential maritime crossing.

Why the strait matters beyond Yemen

The Bab el-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a key connection between Asian markets and Europe through the Suez Canal. Disruption there can force vessels to take longer routes around southern Africa, increasing transport costs, delivery times and pressure on international supply chains.

More than a quarter of seaborne crude oil and petroleum trade passes through the Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb chokepoints combined. The Red Sea itself carries nearly one-third of worldwide container traffic, making security in the area a matter of concern far beyond the countries bordering it.

The Houthis have previously attacked shipping in the passage. During the summer, the group was also said to have discussed with Tehran the possibility of imposing a safe-passage fee on vessels using the route, a step that could further raise costs for shipping and energy markets.

Attacks on Saudi oil facilities and tankers have already contributed to higher crude prices. Oil moved above $100 a barrel on Thursday as tensions surrounding Yemen’s coast and Saudi territory escalated.

Regional conflict widens

Formally known as Ansar Allah, the Houthis took control of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, late in 2014. Their fighters seized the presidential palace and important military installations, forcing the government into exile. The movement is aligned with Tehran’s wider Axis of Resistance, a network that includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and armed groups in Iraq. These organisations receive varying levels of Iranian backing, training and equipment through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Hostilities in Yemen intensified again in July after the Houthis allowed an Iranian aircraft to land despite Saudi restrictions on Yemeni airspace. Saudi Arabia struck the airport in response, while the Houthis announced a blockade aimed at the kingdom’s oil trade.

Over the past week, the group has mounted a broader campaign against government troops supported by Saudi Arabia. It has also launched attacks inside Saudi territory that injured dozens of people. Riyadh has answered with daily strikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen and insists it retains the right to protect itself.

Saudi Arabia said it had always offered “opportunities for negotiation.”

Saudi Arabia signed a NATO-style mutual defence agreement with Turkey and nuclear-armed Pakistan in Mecca last month. Neither partner appears likely to enter the Yemen conflict directly. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that Pakistan would “honour” the agreement if needed, but the foreign ministry later described the arrangement as a deterrence-focused defensive alliance.

“There is no such thing under discussion right now. When the time comes, we will act under the agreement,” spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said at a weekly media briefing.

In July, US President Donald Trump said Washington would respond if the Houthis tried to obstruct Red Sea shipping. US strikes beginning in March 2025 hit military and industrial targets in Yemen, but Washington is now seen as reluctant to become more deeply involved while fighting its own war with Iran, which began in February.

Iran called on Friday for Saudi Arabia to end its blockade of Yemen and resume talks. With Houthi forces now positioned on islands and coastal territory around the Bab el-Mandeb, pressure is likely to grow for a diplomatic effort that addresses both Yemen’s civil war and the security of one of the world’s busiest sea lanes.