Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have captured the strategic volcanic island of Mayun, also known as Perim, in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, opening another front in the widening regional conflict. The island sits in the 28-km-wide waterway connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, close to major international shipping routes, AP reported.
The advance follows the Houthis' reported capture of the Red Sea port city of Mokha, giving the group greater control over areas near one of the world's busiest maritime corridors. The Houthis said commercial shipping would remain safe, except for Saudi vessels, describing the move as retaliation for Saudi Arabia's long-standing blockade of Houthi-controlled areas. The group also warned that any further escalation would be met with a similar response.
The developments have raised concerns over energy supplies as well. Saudi Arabia temporarily shut down its major East-West oil pipeline as a precaution after a drone attack, while oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel on fears of further attacks on oil infrastructure and shipping.
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The Houthi gains could also complicate Saudi Arabia's efforts to use Red Sea routes as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, particularly as tensions between Iran and the United States continue. Higher oil prices could give Tehran greater leverage in any future talks with Washington. Iran's Revolutionary Guard has also insisted that any settlement with the US must address the conflict in Yemen.
Officials from Yemen's internationally recognised government said they were surprised that Saudi Arabia had not immediately launched major airstrikes against the Houthi advance, according to AP. They suggested that coordination problems and uncertainty over whether Riyadh had US approval may have influenced the Saudi response.
The latest developments link the conflict in Yemen more closely to wider concerns over regional security, energy supplies and the safety of ships passing through the Red Sea.
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