Iran-backed Houthis seize strategic Mayun Island: Can they hold it?

What the report says

Houthi forces have taken control of Mayun Island, also known as Perim, according to Al Jazeera’s report published on Sept. 12, 2026. The island sits in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, giving the group a more direct position over one of the world’s most important shipping routes. The takeover was confirmed to The Associated Press by a senior official in Yemen’s internationally recognised government and by a Houthi official.

Al Jazeera said the move strengthens the Houthis’ hold along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and could affect the balance of the wider conflict with Saudi-backed government forces. The article noted that the strait is strategically valuable because it connects to the Suez Canal route and helps shape traffic between Asia, Europe and beyond. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera said control of the island could give the Houthis leverage over maritime traffic and, by extension, over Iran’s regional interests as well.

The report also said the Houthis have claimed that general shipping is safe except for vessels linked to Saudi Arabia, but their past record includes attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. That history is part of why the seizure matters beyond Yemen, as any renewed disruption could affect insurance costs, freight rates and energy markets.

Al Jazeera said the group may be able to keep the island in the short term because it controls surrounding coastal areas, but holding it long term could be harder if government-aligned forces try to retake it. The article also cited internal weaknesses among anti-Houthi forces as a factor that may have helped the advance.