Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has significantly strengthened its hold on the western Red Sea coast after seizing Perim Island at the entrance to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to sources aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government. The move follows a rapid offensive in the southwest that also saw the Houthis capture the strategic port city of Mokha and reportedly drive pro-government forces from large stretches of coastline.
Perim — also called Mayyun — sits at the narrowest point of the waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is critical for global shipping. Control of the island gives the Houthis a commanding position over one of the world’s busiest maritime routes, especially important since disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have shifted more traffic through the Red Sea. Witnesses and media reports say pro-government troops withdrew from Perim last Friday, after which Houthi fighters established control. The group later declared their operation a success and announced that navigation in the area is safe for all vessels except those from Saudi Arabia.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the offensive began on 3 September and framed it as a response to what he described as “Saudi aggression.” He also claimed that forces aligned with Saudi Arabia had been expelled from several districts in Taiz and Hodeidah and that hundreds of combatants had been killed, wounded or captured. The Houthi statement did not explicitly mention Perim, but other reporting and local witnesses corroborated Houthi control of the island.
Saudi Arabia has not issued an immediate public response to the island’s capture. Riyadh has been relying increasingly on Red Sea routes and the Bab al-Mandab to transport oil to Asian markets since tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have made that alternative route more crucial. The loss of Perim therefore has potential implications for global trade and energy markets; oil prices rose amid the escalation.
The conflict has already taken a heavy toll on Yemen’s civilian population. Hundreds are reported killed and thousands displaced since the Houthi offensive began. The Saudi-led coalition has conducted air strikes in western Yemen to support pro-government forces, while the Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Saudi cities and energy infrastructure in the south. Saudi authorities said a drone attack from Iraq targeted the kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline, prompting its temporary closure as a precaution and causing injuries. Iraq’s government condemned the attack and removed a local operations commander after investigations linked the strike to the Maysan governorate; Riyadh said it had agreed with Baghdad not to retaliate at this time.
The rapid Houthi advances prompted diplomatic pressure on the United States. Two sources told US broadcaster CBS News that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally urged President Donald Trump to take military action to halt the Houthi gains. Trump reportedly declined to commit US forces directly but offered intelligence and targeting support instead. A senior US administration official told the BBC that the US remains in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the legitimate Yemeni government on regional stability.
The Houthis have positioned their campaign as a defensive response to Saudi military actions, while insisting they will not threaten international shipping — a message aimed at avoiding broader international intervention. Nonetheless, their explicit exception for Saudi vessels underscores the conflict’s politicised and regional dimensions. Analysts warn that Houthi control of Perim and further coastal gains raise the risk of broader disruption to commercial shipping through the Red Sea, which could have knock-on effects for global trade and energy markets already sensitive to Middle East tensions.
Regional responses remain cautious. Saudi Arabia’s public silence on Perim’s capture contrasts with private diplomatic efforts, while Iraq and other regional actors face scrutiny over cross-border arms and drone flows. International maritime organisations and shipping companies are likely to reassess transit risks and routes as control of the strait becomes contested.
For Yemen, the immediate consequences are grim: continued displacement, mounting casualties, and the further fracturing of a country already devastated by years of civil war and humanitarian crisis. For global actors, the situation presents a complex dilemma: whether to become more directly involved to secure an essential maritime chokepoint, or to limit engagement while offering indirect support to allies — choices that could reshape military and diplomatic dynamics across the Red Sea and beyond.
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