Houthi Control of Perim Island & Bab el-Mandeb Strait

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## Overview Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis reportedly reached the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, according to four Yemeni government sources cited by Reuters, tightening their grip on a vital global shipping chokepoint amid the widening Middle East war (SCMP, September 11, 2026). ## Details Two sources from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government said their forces pulled out of Perim, and that Houthi forces also took the mainland Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab, facing the island (SCMP, September 11, 2026). ## Strategic Significance The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. Houthi control over Perim Island would give the group direct oversight of a key artery for global oil and container shipping, compounding existing disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz crisis and prior Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping. ## Why It Matters This development risks further destabilizing global shipping routes already strained by the Hormuz blockade and related Middle East conflicts, potentially driving up insurance costs, rerouting risk, and geopolitical tension involving Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Western naval powers. ## Key Entities - Houthis — Iran-aligned Yemeni armed group - Perim Island — strategic island in Bab el-Mandeb Strait - Yemeni government (Saudi-backed, internationally recognized) - Bab el-Mandeb Strait — critical global shipping chokepoint