Houthis Seize Yemen’s Perim Island, Tightening Their Grip On Bab-el-Mandeb Strait

Houthis have gained control of Yemen’s Perim Island, a small piece of rocky land which divides the Bab El-Mandeb, raising concerns that the Iran-backed group could threaten shipping through the strategic waterway.

The seizure of the island, announced by many news outlets and also the internationally recognised Yemeni Government, comes a day after the Group seized the Red Sea Port of Mokha in Yemen.

This is a major blow to Saudi Arabia and puts Iran and its supporters in a position to control one of the two most important maritime chokepoints for energy trade on the Arabian Peninsula: the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab El-Mandeb Strait.

After the seizure of the small island which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and then to world markets, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salman, spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump, asking him to intervene.

However, Trump made his intentions clear while declining, stating the U.S. cannot broaden its military efforts to fight the Houthis, according to a Top official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The U.S. war with Iran in the Middle East has drained resources and led to longer deployments and declining mental health of sailors. With no negotiations in sight, the war is ongoing, with regular attacks on ships and seafarer casualties being reported.

U.S. wants to focus on safeguarding its national security and freedom of navigation, which, according to the government, is being threatened by Iran. However, the official also said that the U.S. is in talks with Saudi Arabia over the Houthi issue.

Riyadh is also concerned about the capture of Mokha, and now the possibility of the closure of Bab El-Mandeb too looms large, raising questions about the security of oil and gas supplies, especially to Asia and Europe.

Mokha is 75 km north of the Bab El-Mandeb and is a key port on the Red Sea. Houthis are already warning Saudi Arabia that they would prevent its oil from reaching its destination, and now control of Bab el-Mandeb means that even European ships and those of US allies could also be attacked.

Analysts say that after this announcement, the prices of oil and petroleum products increased, especially as the importance of Bab el-Mandeb has increased after the U.S-Iran war.

The waterway has become an alternative route to ship oil from Hormuz, though the volume of trade remains below pre-war levels even through Bab el-Mandeb and might decline even more after the capture of Perim Island. The energy infrastructure of Saudi Arabia also remains at risk of attack.