Houthis seize key Yemen port and island, tightening Red Sea control

Houthi forces have captured the strategic port city of Mokha and the island of Perim in Yemen's Bab el-Mandeb Strait, completing their hold on the vital shipping lane and escalating fighting with Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces. The advance, which occurred over the past week, has displaced tens of thousands of people and brought the Iran-aligned rebels within 20 miles of a U.S. military base in Djibouti. The United Nations estimates more than 82,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since the start of September, with over 2,000 fleeing to Djibouti. The World Health Organization reports the current conflict has killed nearly 200 people. Aid agencies face severe difficulties reaching those in need following the fall of Mokha. Yemeni government forces have launched airstrikes on Houthi positions in Mokha and the coastal town of Dhubab. Sultan al-Arada, a member of the ruling Presidential Leadership Council, described the loss of territory as "painful and regrettable" but said forces are regrouping and will return to battle.