Houthi rebels have seized Perim Island in the Red Sea
The Bab el-Mandeb route carries about 12% of global goods and has become crucial for Saudi exports as the Iran war disrupts Hormuz traffic.
Saturday, 12 September 2026 12:00
Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have captured Mayun island at the entrance to the Red Sea, NPR reported.
A senior military official with Yemen’s internationally recognized government and a Houthi official confirmed the seizure. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists. Mayun sits near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key alternative route for Saudi oil and other exports since Iran has been targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
About 12% of the world’s goods are typically shipped through Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern end of the Red Sea. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Friday that “maritime navigation is safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels.” Markets are nervous, and experts have described the Houthis as highly unpredictable.
U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said Houthi rebels in Mokha seized a compound that had housed U.N. staff. He said all staff fled safely before the city’s capture and that “no U.N. personnel remain in Mokha right now.”
Saudi Arabia said Friday it had shut down a major cross-country oil pipeline as a “precautionary measure” after attacks the day before. The Saudi Energy Ministry did not say who carried out the attacks. The East-West pipeline has been vital to Saudi Arabia’s oil exports since the Iran war disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The International Energy Agency said Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea port at the pipeline’s end have more than doubled since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.
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