Houthis seize Bab el-Mandeb Strait, expanding Red Sea control
Reuters reported that on 17 September the Iran-backed Houthi movement seized control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, expanding its capacity to disrupt Red Sea shipping and to target Saudi oil facilities. The seizure follows a series of advances that began in mid-September, when CNN said the Houthis were moving toward Perim Island. NBC News and Fox News later confirmed that the rebels captured Perim Island and the port city of Mocha. Euronews and DW reported that the group also took the Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, widening its grip on the Bab al-Mandeb corridor.
The Guardian noted that U. S. officials met Houthi representatives in Oman and ruled out direct military assistance to Saudi Arabia, while Al Jazeera said Washington reaffirmed support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government as fighting intensified.
