Houthis Seize Strategic Island in Vital Shipping Strait

Houthi forces have captured the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, consolidating control over a vital global shipping lane and escalating the wider Middle East conflict. The advance, confirmed by Yemeni government sources on Friday, September 11, 2026, followed the rebels' seizure of the mainland coastal town of Dhubab and the historic port city of Mokha earlier in the week. The capture of Perim, a volcanic island at the strait's narrowest point, positions the Iran-aligned Houthis to monitor and potentially disrupt traffic through the passage linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The strait handles a significant portion of global maritime trade, including oil shipments from the Persian Gulf to Europe and North America. The territorial gain came a day after the Houthis launched a drone attack on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, a vital artery transporting crude oil from the kingdom's eastern fields to the Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu. Saudi state media reported the pipeline was temporarily shut down as a precautionary measure following the attack, which caused fires at several pumping stations. U.S.