Current sectionMiddle East NewsThe latest advance comes after the Iran-backed rebels seized other key islands last week, tightening their grip on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping route, and increasing pressure on Saudi oil exportsShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeThe Associated Pressand Reuters02:20 PM • September 14 2026 IDTIran-backed Houthi rebels have seized two more strategic islands in the southern Red Sea, strengthening their position around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and their ability to threaten a shipping route that has become increasingly important to Saudi oil exports during the Iran-U.S. war.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:HouthisYemenSaudi ArabiaIranIran - U.S.2026 Israel-Iran WarCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesNetanyahu October 7Settlement SanctionsIran-U.S.EisenkotBen-GvirHamasIsrael Election PollsOphir AwardsHaQuizHaaretz Podcast'Treason': Israeli Minister Formally Asks to Revoke NAZA Directors' CitizenshipRodent Outbreak Hits Israeli Gaza Border Communities, 100 Caught in Some HomesThe Makers of 'NAZA' Knew They Would Be Marked as Traitors. It Didn't Stop ThemWatching 'NAZA' Shocked Me. So Did What Its Creators Left OutIDF Denies 'NAZA' Allegation It Approved 500 Civilian Deaths in Gaza StrikeRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMINetanyahu Got an Explicit Warning Before Oct. 7. He Didn't Brief Security ChiefsIsraeli Documentary on Gaza Receives Record 25-minute Standing Ovation at VeniceNetanyahu Was Warned About October 7. Will Haaretz's Exposé Change Anything?Netanyahu Says He Will Sue Haaretz Following Oct. 7 ExposéIMDb Replaces the Name Israel With 'The Occupied Palestinian Territories''Baby, an Update: He's Just Died': Israeli Guards' Texts Reveal Abuse in Prison