Houthis seize Red Sea islands, tightening grip on shipping routes

Yemen's Houthi rebels have seized the strategic Greater and Lesser Hanish islands in the southern Red Sea, significantly expanding their control over a critical maritime shipping route and escalating the country's conflict. The capture, confirmed by government and Houthi officials on Monday, follows last week's seizure of the port city of Mokha and Perim Island, which sits at the narrowest point of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Hanish islands lie approximately 100 miles north of the strait, between Yemen and Eritrea. Their takeover extends the Iran-backed rebels' influence farther into the Red Sea, placing them roughly 20 miles from the U.S. military base in Djibouti. The advances have come with little resistance from Saudi-backed government forces, which are now attempting to regroup and push back. The territorial gains are mounting pressure on Saudi Arabia's oil export routes. The kingdom's East-West Pipeline, a key alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, will be mostly out of service for three to five weeks due to damage from a September 10 attack, according to two regional officials.