Houthis Seize Strategic Island in Yemen, Threatening Saudi Oil Exports
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have made significant gains in Yemen, capturing a strategic island at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The island, Mayun, is located inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's key shipping lanes.
The Houthis' capture of the island has opened up a new front in the Iran war and poses a significant threat to Saudi oil exports. The Saudi air force struck the airport in the nearby port city of Mokha on Thursday, but there were no reports of damage or deaths.
Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on the Red Sea to export its crude oil, as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz where Iran has been striking ships. However, Houthi moves to close the 28-kilometer-wide Bab el-Mandeb channel have made this route more complicated.
The capture of Mayun is a significant blow to Saudi Arabia, which has long relied on the Red Sea for its oil exports. The Houthis' actions are also seen as a move to boost Iran's strategy of driving up world oil and gas prices to pressure the United States.