Yemen’s armed Houthi group has seized full control of the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, a critical shipping route for maritime traffic.
News agency AFP reported the development, citing local Yemeni government officials and eyewitnesses. According to them, Houthi forces took control Friday of an island located in the middle of the Bab-el-Mandeb waterway in the Red Sea, completing their full control of the entire strait area.
The government official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said boats carrying armed Houthi fighters reached Mayun island (also known as Perim) after government forces withdrew from it the previous day. The Houthis have taken full control of Mayun island, located at the exact midpoint of the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
An eyewitness told AFP that armed men are deployed across the Bab-el-Mandeb coastline and are moving around in military vehicles.
Several hundred people have been killed since the Iran-backed Houthis launched an attack against Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces in the Bab-el-Mandeb area last week. Thousands of families have been displaced.
After US-Israeli strikes on Iran, Tehran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy supplies. This has made the Bab-el-Mandeb strait even more important for shipping. With the Houthis now in control of it, the risk has increased further for vessels belonging to the United States, Israel and their allies travelling through the route.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that Saudi Arabia carried out air strikes on Mokha airport, which is under Houthi control. The strikes were carried out twice on Friday.
Houthi fighters launched a major offensive against Yemeni government forces last week. On Thursday, they seized the strategically important Red Sea port of Mokha.