Middle East — 2026-09-13

Houthis Seize Perim Island Completing Control of Bab el-Mandeb Strait

BLUFHouthi seizure of Perim Island makes a strike on Saudi-flagged or Saudi-linked shipping in Bab el-Mandeb very likely within 30 days, compounding Riyadh's loss of alternative export routes.

Houthi forces captured Perim Island (also known as Mayun), the volcanic outpost splitting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into two channels, a takeover confirmed Friday by a senior official with Yemen's internationally recognized government and a Houthi official speaking to the Associated Press 12. The seizure followed the Houthis' capture of the port city of Mocha on Thursday and an advance on the coastal town of Dhubab, with NBC News reporting Saudi-backed government forces withdrew from Perim as Houthi units approached 3. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement that "maritime navigation is safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels" 12. Separately, Saudi Arabia's energy ministry shut down the kingdom's East-West oil pipeline Friday after drone strikes it said originated from Iraq, and Iraq's prime minister dismissed a military commander in Maysan province after an investigation into the attacks' origin 13.

Analysis
Houthi forces now hold Mayun island, controlling both channels of the strait, converting April's rhetorical threat to close it into physical control. Saree's exemption of all shipping except Saudi vessels signals standing intent, and the group will very likely strike, seize, or forcibly interdict a Saudi-flagged or Saudi-linked vessel before mid-October. This judgment carries high confidence, built on convergent primary reporting from NPR, Al Jazeera, and NBC News rather than a single wire feed, and an explicit on-the-record threat rather than inferred posture. Control may prove less than absolute, since the western littoral lies outside Yemeni territory and the thinly defended island remains vulnerable to amphibious counterstrike. Riyadh's simultaneous loss of East-West pipeline throughput narrows its export routing options, and a confirmed strike would force Washington to choose between direct military action and continued arm's-length support, a choice deferred absent one.

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