"For Iran, this is a chess game. They plan what comes next. They don't push all their buttons at the same time out of panic," the regional official said.

The advance raises the threat to shipping near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden to global markets.

The rebels now have unmatched control over the Bab Al Mandeb strait

Iran-backed Houthi rebels have captured Yemens Perim island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to officials from both sides, potentially tightening their grip on a crucial Red…