A graffiti on a wall depicts a Houthi fighter stopping an Israeli ship, in Sanaa. EPAShow caption: A graffiti on a wall depicts a Houthi fighter stopping an Is…The rebels now have unmatched control over the Bab Al Mandeb straitYemen's Houthi rebels are now in control of the entire western coast of Yemen and the strategic island of Perim, effectively giving them unmatched control over the Bab Al Mandeb strait, the Red Sea's key entry and exit point, Yemeni officials told The National."They took it all," one Yemeni security official said. "All of the west has fallen, and Perim Island too. They have everything now," he added.A second security official confirmed the details and said the Iran-backed Houthis had also taken control of Zuqar, another strategic Red Sea island.After taking control of Mokha on Thursday, the Houthis continued their offensive southwards and seized Dhubab, the last major town on Yemen's western coast and one that directly overlooks the Bab Al Mandeb Strait and Perim Island, also known as Mayyun.The fighting comes during the biggest declared wave of US-Iran tit-for-tat attacks on Gulf shipping since the war began in late February.If the Houthis were to gain ⁠control of the waterway on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz, it could give Iran a critical advantage in the war with the US, reducing supplies through a second major transit corridor and sending oil prices surging.The islands of Zuqar and Perim are vital for maritime security and fighting around the western coast has put them at the centre of a rebel offensive and the wider US-Iran war. Perim, with an area of 13 square kilometres, lies within the Bab Al Mandeb, between Yemen’s mainland and Djibouti, effectively dividing the strait into two channels. Its position gives whoever controls it an exceptional advantage in monitoring vessels entering or leaving the Red Sea and those on the route towards the Suez Canal for traffic between Asia, the Gulf and Europe.Zuqar lies in the Red Sea. Like Perim, it is a volcanic island of about 130 sq km, sitting between mainland Yemen and Eritrea. It lies about 32km off Yemen’s west coast and 90km south-west of Hodeidah. The island was used by government forces to track shipping traffic, monitor movements by Houthi rebels and stop weapons smuggling in the Red Sea.Updated: September 11, 2026, 9:09 AM