Houthis Capture Strategic Island, Threaten Saudi Oil Exports
Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against Yemen's rebel-held Mokha airport in response to the Houthi rebels' capture of the strategic island of Mayun at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The Houthis, backed by Iran, seized the island earlier this week, opening a new front in the ongoing conflict and further threatening Saudi oil exports through one of the world's key shipping lanes.
The Bab el-Mandeb channel is a 28-kilometre-wide waterway that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, and its closure would severely impact global trade. The Houthis have been attacking Saudi shipping in the area since declaring a blockade in July, as well as targeting oil infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia.
The Yemeni government's National Defence Council called for international support after the Houthi advance towards the Bab el-Mandeb channel, condemning the renewed attacks on Saudi Arabia. The escalating fighting threatens to end a fragile truce that had largely halted Yemen's civil war since 2022.