Iran-backed Houthi forces seized control of Perim Island and the port city of Mokha along Yemen's western coast on Thursday, September 10, and Friday, September 11, according to government and Houthi officials. Perim Island, also known as Mayyun, sits within the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a narrow waterway that serves as a primary shipping route between Asia and Europe. In a statement issued Friday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea declared a military operation launched on September 3 to be a success, claiming the group had expelled Saudi-backed forces from six districts.
The Houthi advance follows a period of relative stalemate in Yemen's internal conflict since a 2022 truce. Tensions escalated in July 2026 after an Iranian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation landed at Sanaa airport, challenging Saudi control of Yemeni airspace and prompting Saudi retaliatory strikes. The Houthi movement responded by blockading Saudi shipping and targeting oil facilities within the kingdom, including a September 8 strike on an Aramco distribution center in Abha Bulk. This escalation occurs amid a wider regional conflict involving Iran and the United States, which has recently disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Houthi spokesmen stated that maritime navigation remains safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels. However, officials from Yemen's internationally recognized government reported that their forces pulled out rapidly as the Houthi movement entered Mokha on Thursday. Tarik Saleh, a vice president in the recognized government, had previously warned that Houthi control of Perim Island would allow the group to dominate the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Following the capture of Mokha, Saudi Arabia conducted airstrikes on the city's airport.
The seizure of these territories affects global shipping as a primary trade route for oil and commercial goods is now under the influence of an armed group blockading Saudi vessels. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait carries millions of barrels of oil daily; following news of the Houthi gains on September 10, global Brent crude oil prices rose 4% to reach $105 per barrel. Saudi Arabia, which has become increasingly dependent on Red Sea routes due to disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz, now faces a threat to its ability to export diesel to European markets.
For the people of Yemen, the escalation has immediate humanitarian consequences. The International Organization for Migration reported that at least 46,000 people have been displaced since fighting intensified last week. Residents in Mokha reported closing shops and fleeing their homes as the front lines shifted. The capture of the coast also creates a new defensive perimeter for Houthi forces, potentially shielding their interior holdings from future ground operations.
Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst for Yemen with the International Crisis Group, noted that the group is now in a position to increase influence around the strait. The presence of international military facilities in nearby Djibouti—belonging to the U.S., China, France, Japan, and Italy—places several world powers in proximity to the conflict. What happens next depends on the reaction of the Saudi-led coalition as the front lines along the Tihama coastal plain continue to shift.