Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Iran-backed Houthi forces have reportedly taken control of a coastal town and a strategically important island near Yemen’s Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to Yemeni officials and local witnesses. The reported advance has intensified concerns about the safety of one of the world’s most important maritime routes and raised fears that Yemen’s renewed conflict could develop into a wider regional crisis.
The developments came as reports indicated that U.S. President Donald Trump rejected a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to launch military strikes against the Houthis. According to the reports, Washington is attempting to support Saudi Arabia while avoiding direct military involvement in another conflict.
The Houthis reportedly seized Dhubab, a Yemeni coastal town located directly beside Bab el-Mandeb, as well as Perim Island, also known as Mayyun. The island sits in the middle of the strait and divides it into two navigable channels.
Control of the two locations would give the Houthis a significant position overlooking a major international shipping corridor. Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean, forming an essential southern gateway for vessels traveling between Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
A Yemeni official told international news agencies that Houthi boats carrying armed fighters had reached Perim Island after government forces withdrew on Thursday. The official, who spoke anonymously, said the Houthis had completed their takeover of the Bab el-Mandeb area and the island at the center of the strait.
A witness said armed Houthi fighters were deployed along the coastline and moving through the area in military vehicles. The reported takeover followed the group’s seizure of the coastal city of Mokha in Taiz province a day earlier.
The Houthis captured Mokha during an offensive along Yemen’s western coast. Government-aligned forces had used the city as an important military and logistical center. The withdrawal of those forces has opened the way for the Houthis to move farther south toward Bab el-Mandeb.
Yemeni military sources also reported that Houthi forces had advanced toward the Hanish Islands in the Red Sea. Government troops and allied formations reportedly moved south along the coast toward Dhubab before the Houthis announced control of the area.
Tareq Saleh, commander of the government-aligned National Resistance Forces, said his troops had transferred their headquarters to a safer location to reorganize. The move reflects the pressure facing the anti-Houthi coalition, which has struggled to maintain a unified military structure despite continued support from Saudi Arabia.
The escalation has also included air attacks. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Saudi Arabia had carried out dozens of strikes against Yemen within a 24-hour period. Houthi-affiliated media later reported that Saudi aircraft had attacked Mokha airport.
Saudi authorities, meanwhile, activated warning sirens in the southern cities of Khamis Mushait and Abha after the Saudi-led coalition reported missile and drone attacks launched by the Houthis. Officials later said the danger had passed.
The Houthi Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center said shipping in the Red Sea remained safe for all companies except those connected to Saudi Arabia. The statement appeared to signal that the group was seeking to distinguish between general commercial traffic and vessels it associates with Saudi interests.
That distinction has not eliminated concerns among shipping companies and governments. The Houthis have previously attacked or threatened a wide range of commercial vessels in the Red Sea, saying their operations were linked to the war in Gaza. The group has insisted that its current targets are connected to Saudi Arabia, but maritime authorities fear that the conflict could eventually affect ships from other countries.
The reported loss of Perim Island is especially significant because of its location. The island overlooks shipping lanes passing through Bab el-Mandeb and could potentially be used to monitor vessel movements. Its position may also provide the Houthis with greater leverage to threaten shipping without needing to close the strait completely.
International officials have warned that the situation could create a second major maritime chokepoint crisis at a time when transit through the Strait of Hormuz is already severely disrupted. Any prolonged danger around both waterways could affect energy shipments, raise insurance premiums and force vessels to take longer routes around southern Africa.
The United States is reportedly attempting to avoid opening another front while concentrating its military resources on Iran and the security of the Strait of Hormuz. American military and civilian officials are said to have informed their Saudi counterparts that Washington’s current policy is to prioritize those objectives rather than launch a direct campaign against the Houthis.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, reportedly traveled to Saudi Arabia for urgent coordination talks. The discussions came after Mohammed bin Salman allegedly held two telephone conversations with Trump and urged him to authorize strikes against the Houthi movement.
The reported refusal underscores the limits of the current U.S.-Saudi partnership. Riyadh wants stronger action against the group, while Washington appears concerned that direct intervention could expand the conflict and place American forces at greater risk.
The latest fighting has already displaced large numbers of civilians. The International Organization for Migration said at least 46,000 people had fled their homes since violence intensified in southwestern Yemen the previous week. The organization warned that the number was continuing to increase rapidly.
The United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, described the developments as the beginning of a more dangerous phase in the conflict. He said the seizure of Mokha had given the Houthis a direct presence near one of the world’s most important straits and raised serious concerns about freedom of navigation.
Iran has praised the Houthi advance, with an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader describing it as a major victory. Tehran provides political, military and financial support to the Houthis, while Saudi Arabia backs Yemen’s internationally recognized government and has conducted airstrikes against Houthi positions.
At the same time, Iranian and Saudi diplomats held telephone discussions about rising insecurity in the region. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, with both sides reportedly emphasizing diplomacy and the need to prevent further escalation.
Iran has called for an end to what it described as an unlawful and inhumane blockade of Yemen and urged the immediate resumption of negotiations under a United Nations-backed roadmap. Tehran said it was prepared to help facilitate dialogue, arguing that Yemen’s problems could not be resolved through military alliances or continued restrictions.
Saudi Arabia has also sought to build international support for protecting Red Sea shipping. However, the latest Houthi advances show how quickly the conflict can threaten both Yemen’s political stability and global maritime trade.
Whether the Houthis can hold Dhubab and Perim Island remains uncertain. But their reported control of positions near Bab el-Mandeb has already transformed the conflict. Yemen is now facing renewed internal warfare, while the international community confronts the possibility that another vital energy route could become a battlefield.
