Houthis Seize Perim Island, Tighten Grip on Red Sea — SkimNews
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- Houthis seized Perim Island at the narrowest point of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to a source from Yemen's internationally recognized government, one day after capturing the strategic port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed forces.
- A Yemeni military official told AFP the Houthis now control the entire Red Sea coastline, while the group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed a 'large-scale' operation launched 3 September had expelled 'Saudi enemy' forces from six districts in Taiz and Hodeidah.
- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally pressed US President Donald Trump for military action against the Houthis, two sources told CBS News; Trump declined direct US military involvement, offering only intelligence and targeting support.
- Houthi forces issued a statement declaring 'maritime navigation is safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels,' positioning Perim's capture as a direct threat to Saudi oil shipping rather than global commerce.
- The Bab al-Mandab Strait has grown more critical following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the US-Iran conflict, and the escalation has contributed to a surge in oil prices past $100 a barrel.
- The International Organization for Migration reported at least 46,000 people displaced since fighting escalated, with director general Amy Pope saying families are being forced to flee 'for the second or third time in this conflict.'
- Iraq's prime minister removed the operations commander in Maysan governorate after Saudi Arabia reported drones from that Iran-bordering region struck the East-West oil pipeline, forcing its precautionary closure.
Why it matters: With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, Saudi Arabia was routing oil through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab — a route the Houthis have now physically dominated by seizing Perim Island and Mokha, pushing oil past $100 a barrel. Trump's refusal of MBS's request for direct US military action leaves Saudi Arabia to absorb the strategic loss alone, while 46,000 Yemenis have been newly displaced in a week.
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