Houthis Capture Perim Island in Strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait

Yemen’s Iran‑aligned Houthi forces have seized the volcanic island of Perim, a key point in the Bab al‑Mandab Strait that sits between Yemen and Djibouti. The capture follows the loss of the port city of Mocha and marks a further expansion of Houthi control along Yemen’s western coast. Perim sits at the narrowest part of the strait, a choke point through which a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas shipments transit, making the island’s possession strategically critical for global maritime trade.

The takeover was achieved after forces loyal to the United Nations‑backed government in Aden withdrew from the island, leaving it vulnerable to the Houthi advance. The move heightens tensions in a region already fraught with conflict, as Saudi Arabia and its allies rely on the Bab al‑Mandab corridor for the export of oil. The rapid Houthi gains underscore the shifting balance of power in Yemen and raise concerns about potential disruptions to one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes.