Houthi Forces Capture Key Red Sea Island, Raising Concerns Over Oil Shipping

Iran-backed Houthi fighters seized Perim Island in the Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Yemeni port city of Mocha, moves that could further restrict a major Red Sea shipping lane, analysts said. The captures bring the rebels closer to controlling the strait that links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, a route used by Saudi Arabia to export oil.

The United States has deployed roughly one hundred military advisors to Saudi Arabia to assist the Saudi-backed Yemeni government in countering the Houthi advance, according to CNN.

"This administration is taking this very seriously. Should the Houthis control this critical waterway, it could upend the global economy and raise prices here at home," said CNN political commentator Sabrina Singh.

Saudi oil shipments that previously passed through the Bab al-Mandeb are now being rerouted via the Suez Canal or around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, a longer and costlier path that analysts say is contributing to higher global oil and diesel prices. The situation follows ongoing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian activity has also constrained oil flow for months.

Energy analysts warn that the combined pressure on both the Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb corridors could tighten global oil supplies, potentially driving further price increases for gasoline and diesel in the United States and elsewhere.