On September 11, 2026, Houthi forces took control of Perim Island, a 13-square-kilometer landmass sitting at the center of the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The seizure came just one day after the group captured the port city of Mokha, suggesting a coordinated offensive along Yemen’s Red Sea coast rather than opportunistic skirmishing.
Pro-government forces apparently retreated from the island without a prolonged fight, handing the Houthis a strategic prize that most military planners would have considered a nightmare scenario even a year ago.
Why a small island matters enormously
Perim Island sits directly in the Bab al-Mandab bottleneck, physically dividing the strait into two navigable channels.
The strait handles an estimated 10 to 12 percent of global seaborne trade during stable periods. That figure includes a substantial share of Europe-bound oil and Asian consumer goods. Whoever controls Perim Island holds a position from which they can monitor, harass, or threaten virtually every vessel passing through both channels.
