Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have captured two strategic islands in the southern Red Sea, expanding their foothold in the waterway as Saudi Arabia faces growing pressure on its oil export routes.

Government said the Houthis now hold the Yemeni side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea and, in turn, the Suez Canal. | World News

The Iran-backed militia is said to have seized Perim Island, a strategic point at the southern entrance to the Bab al-Mandab Strait.