Houthi forces capture Red Sea island, former Pentagon official warns of U.S. response

Iran-backed Houthi fighters took control of Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Sept. 11, adding a new flashpoint to a key global shipping lane. The capture follows a month-long offensive along Yemen’s western coast that killed more than 1,500 soldiers, according to reports.

Former Pentagon press secretary and retired Navy captain Morgan Murphy told Fox News Digital that the island’s location makes it a “kill box” vulnerable to U.S. naval firepower. > "With Perim, they have gained what we could call the cork in the Red Sea bottle," Murphy said, adding that the United States could “wipe them off the face of that rock” if the president chose to act.

Murphy noted that Perim, an uninhabited volcanic island about 18 miles wide at the narrowest point of the strait, has historically served as a strategic maritime outpost. Satellite images show a 1.85-kilometer runway and three hangars, which regional intelligence attributes to construction by the United Arab Emirates, though the runway’s condition is unknown.

U.S. officials have said there are no immediate plans for direct combat, but intelligence support continues. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly urged President Donald Trump to authorize strikes, which Trump declined, stating the Houthis had indicated they did not want direct confrontation.

U.S. and regional sources say the Houthi advance is supported by Iranian weapons and guidance from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Murphy warned that while the Houthis have seized a strategic position, they lack the capability to resist a coordinated U.S. naval response.