Yemen’s Houthis seized a strategic Red Sea island yesterday after capturing territory along the coast, sealing their takeover of a vital shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia.
The development is likely to deepen the Middle East war’s impact on international commerce, months after the strategic Strait of Hormuz was blockaded by Iran, which hailed its Yemeni allies’ advance yesterday. After a week-long offensive that has left hundreds dead, the Houthis appeared to be in control of territory along the Yemeni side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea and, in turn, the Suez Canal.
A local official with Yemen’s government said yesterday that the Houthis had “completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandab area and Mayyun Island”, while a witness said gunmen were “deploying along the Bab al-Mandab shore and are driving around in military vehicles”.