Yemen's Houthi Rebels Seize More Key Islands in the Red Sea and Tighten Grip on Shipping Routes
The seizure extends Houthi reach over a key Red Sea chokepoint and follows recent gains in Mokha and Mayun, officials said.
- On Monday, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels deployed fighters on the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, 160 kilometers north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, after government-allied forces withdrew from the archipelago.
- This strategic gain follows the rebels' seizure last week of the mainland port city of Mokha and Mayun, an island located inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, tightening their control over Red Sea maritime routes.
- Fighting since September 3 has killed 150 civilians and wounded more than 200, while the United Nations estimates over 80,000 people have been displaced, including 2,000 who fled by boat to Djibouti.
- The advances place rebels just 32 kilometers from the United States military base in Djibouti, threatening Saudi crude oil shipments that utilize the Red Sea as a substitute for the Strait of Hormuz.
- Dismissing the losses as "incidental," presidential council leader Rashad al-Alimi stated government forces are regrouping, while council member Sultan al-Arada described the collapse in Mokha as "painful and regrettable.
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Houthis seize additional Red Sea islands, tightening grip on key shipping route
The 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 exports
Yemen's Houthi rebels have made significant progress by capturing the strategic islands of Great and Little Hanish in the southern Red Sea, as well as the port city of Moha, consolidating their control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis also carried out attacks on military facilities and an airbase in Saudi Arabia. US President Donald Trump said that Washington is considering options regarding the conflict with Iran, where one was killed…
The advance of the Huthi militia in the Red Sea is unbroken: two more islands fall into the hands of the rebels supported by Iran.
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