Houthis seize Perim Island, tightening grip on Bab al-Mandab Strait

Yemen's Houthi forces have seized strategic Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, escalating a conflict that is increasingly putting pressure on the United States, threatening Gulf oil shipments and pushing global crude prices above $100 a barrel.

The advance has prompted Saudi Arabia to seek US military assistance, although Washington has so far limited its response to intelligence and targeting support rather than direct intervention.

Houthi forces took control of Perim Island, also known as Mayun Island, on Friday after government troops withdrew overnight, a Yemeni government official told Xinhua.

The island lies at the heart of the Bab al-Mandab Strait and divides the narrow waterway into two shipping channels.

"Houthi naval forces aboard several boats reached Mayun early Friday.

They landed on the island and took control without military resistance," the official said, adding that the Houthis now have a "full grip over the Bab al-Mandab area." The move came a day after Houthi forces captured Mocha, a strategic Red Sea port city in southwestern Yemen, and marked a major expansion of their control along Yemen's western coast.

"After tightening their grip on Bab al-Mandab and key coastal areas and islands in and around the strait, the Houthis are pressing farther south," a Yemeni military official said Friday on condition of anonymity.

Government forces have withdrawn to Khor Omeira in Lahj, about 90 kilometers west of Aden, the temporary seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government on the southern coast, the official said.

The forces are "regrouping with no clear indication of their next move," he added.

Residents in Khor Omeira reported signs of disarray among the retreating government forces.

Some soldiers were reportedly selling their weapons at low prices, while others were discarding their uniforms before heading toward Aden.

In a statement broadcast Friday by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the offensive, which began on September 3, had captured about 5,400 square kilometers of territory in western Yemen.

Sarea also claimed that Houthi forces had confronted Saudi warplanes in 32 engagements and "shot down nine aircraft." The claims could not be independently verified.

Addressing concerns over the security of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Sarea said international maritime traffic remained "safe," while reiterating that Saudi vessels were subject to Houthi restrictions.