Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces have traded strikes as fighting intensifies around the strategic Bab al-Mandeb chokepoint on Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The escalation comes as Houthi forces have seized Mayun Island, also known as Perim, giving the group a strategic position in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and strengthening its control over Yemen’s Red Sea coastline.
US President Donald Trump said the Houthis had contacted Washington and asked it not to intervene in the conflict involving Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
The developments came amid wider regional tensions after Iraq temporarily closed three border crossings with Iran following a drone attack launched from Iraqi territory that targeted Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline.
Saudi Arabia suspended the pipeline as a precaution and has so far held off on an immediate response.
Meanwhile, Iran is expected to meet Gulf states in Oman on Monday to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and efforts to promote regional security.
Houthis gain strategic foothold
Mayun Island, a 13-square-kilometre volcanic island in the middle of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, divides the waterway into two channels and overlooks one of the world’s most important maritime routes.
The Houthis also control nearby coastal areas, including the port city of Mocha, strengthening their ability to threaten shipping through the strategic waterway.
Security analyst Wolfgang Pusztai told Al Jazeera that the Houthis now have “the real capability to shut down any maritime traffic through Bab al-Mandeb if they want to”.
However, maintaining control of the island could prove more difficult than capturing it.
Andreas Krieg of King’s College London said the Houthis are in a strong position to defend Mayun in the short term because of their control of nearby territory, but the island could be difficult to defend against an amphibious assault over a longer period.
The Bab al-Mandeb is a major global shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, making control of the waterway strategically important for regional powers and international trade.