Houthi rebels tighten control over Red Sea coastline
The Houthi rebels effectively completed their rapid push to take control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline on Friday, tightening their grip on one of the world’s most important shipping routes and delivering a dramatic boost to their backers in Iran, reports BritPanorama.
Houthi forces captured Perim, an island in the middle of the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait, several news agencies reported, citing multiple sources. This follows their capture of the historic port city of Mocha just a day earlier.
Following these advances, Houthi forces moved on the strategic coastal town of Dhubab, resulting in the apparent withdrawal of forces from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government from Perim, also known as Mayun.
The Houthis and the opposing coalition have been engaged in a civil war since 2014. The conflict, which had seen a prolonged truce, has intensified in recent weeks, heightening fears of a return to all-out war and posing a significant new threat to the global economy.
Effective Houthi control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial gateway for Red Sea trade linking Europe and Asia, could jeopardize oil exports while enhancing Iran’s leverage in its conflict with the United States.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has increasingly relied on the Red Sea route due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — a critical conduit through which approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil typically passes — since U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran commenced in late February.
If the Houthis continue to threaten shipping along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, it could further diminish oil supplies through another vital waterway, exacerbating the global energy crisis.
Global oil prices seemed poised to conclude the week above $100 a barrel for the first time since mid-May, following the significant developments in Yemen and ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
The Houthis have also targeted oil facilities within Saudi Arabia, and satellite imagery on Friday revealed a 60-mile smoke plume along the path of the kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline. This pipeline serves as a key alternative route for Saudi exports unable to pass through Hormuz.
Fire detection data indicated high-temperature readings at several locations linked to the underground pipeline infrastructure, though the specifics of any incident remain unclear. Neither Saudi officials nor the Houthis have provided comments regarding these developments.
