Houthis Capture Perim Island at Bab al-Mandab Strait

The Houthi rebels have launched a sweeping offensive across western Yemen, reaching the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait on Thursday. According to Qatar-based Al-Araby, the Iran-backed group has captured Perim Island, also known as Mayyun, at the narrowest point of one of the world's most important shipping routes.

Perim's location gives the Houthi a crucial position to monitor shipping and potentially threaten vessels passing through the strait. The island is roughly 13 square kilometers in size and lies in the middle of Bab al-Mandab, separating the waterway into two channels between Yemen and the Horn of Africa.

The Houthis' advance comes amid a broader escalation in the conflict, with government forces acknowledging their withdrawal from the strategic port city of Al-Mokha earlier on Thursday. The National Resistance Forces led by Gen. Tareq Saleh had held the city, but they have now moved their command center to a 'safe location.'

The fighting has already displaced at least 20,000 people in several areas, with reports suggesting the number rose sharply overnight as residents fled toward Aden, the seat of the internationally recognized government. At least 500 people had been killed in the renewed fighting, most of them combatants but including dozens of civilians.

The Houthi blitz has added pressure to already volatile energy markets, with Brent crude rising at least 4% to around $105 a barrel amid fears that shipping through Bab al-Mandab could face greater disruption. The gains could also strengthen Iran's hand in its confrontation with the US, giving Tehran another potential source of leverage as it seeks relief from an American blockade.

The internationally recognized government has accused Tehran of driving the offensive, with Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, stating that 'Iran seeks to give the Houthis the ability to influence the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea.'