Houthis claim major advance in Yemen and tighten grip on Red Sea shipping lane

What the report says

Yemen’s Houthi movement says it has made a significant advance along the country’s western Red Sea coast, deepening its control over a vital international shipping corridor. In reporting the development, BBC World News said the Iran-backed group was believed to have taken Perim Island, a strategically placed island at the entrance to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and also captured the port city of Mokha from forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

According to the BBC’s account, Yemeni government sources and military officials said Houthi fighters moved onto Perim after pro-government forces withdrew. The Houthis said their operation had succeeded and claimed, in general terms, that maritime traffic remained safe except for Saudi vessels. Their spokesman also framed the offensive as a response to Saudi Arabia’s actions. Saudi Arabia did not publicly comment on the latest battlefield claims.

The fighting is part of a broader escalation in Yemen’s civil war, where the Houthis control much of the north and the capital, Sanaa, while a Saudi-led coalition backs the internationally recognised government. The latest gains matter because the Bab al-Mandab Strait is one of the world’s key chokepoints for trade and oil shipments, making any change in control there a concern for regional security and global shipping.

The BBC also reported that displacement is rising sharply, with thousands of people forced to flee amid continued air strikes, missile launches and ground combat. More generally, the conflict has repeatedly affected shipping and energy markets in the Red Sea region.