Houthis Seize Strategic Mayun Island at Bab el-Mandeb, Celebrations Erupt Across Yemen
Houthi rebels have captured Mayun island and the port city of Mokha at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, prompting celebrations and Saudi airstrikes.
Celebrations broke out across Yemen after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured Mayun, a strategic island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Crowds gathered in Sanaa and Dhamar, waving Yemeni flags and setting off fireworks through the night to mark the advance.
The capture of Mayun, also known as Perim, along with the nearby port city of Mokha, represents the Houthis' most significant territorial gain in years. The island sits inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.
The development could strengthen Iran's strategy of driving up global oil and gas prices to pressure the United States, and opens a new front in the Iran war. It also poses a potential threat to a key international shipping lane and to Saudi Arabia's oil exports.
In a statement on Friday, the Houthi armed forces claimed gains along the coast without specifically mentioning the island, Mokha or the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. They pledged "escalation for escalation" in their confrontation with Saudi Arabia, while asserting that "maritime navigation is safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels."
Saudi Arabia struck an airport in Mokha, which the Houthis had seized a day earlier, according to a Houthi broadcaster. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on the Red Sea to transport crude oil to global markets as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been targeting ships.