Houthi gains threaten key Red Sea shipping route
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have seized key positions near the entrance to the Red Sea, raising concerns over shipping as Saudi Arabia shut a major oil pipeline following a drone attack.
The group captured the port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed government forces on Sept. 10.
Yemeni government sources told Reuters that Mayun Island, also known as Perim, fell to the Houthis the following day. Zuqar Island in the Red Sea was also reported to have been captured.
Mayun lies in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and forms part of the shipping route between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.
