West Asia conflict LIVE: Houthis take over key Red Sea island to control Bab al-Mandeb strait
Yemen's Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) has completed its takeover of the Bab al-Mandab strait area, seizing Mayyun Island (also called Perim Island) after government forces withdrew from it.
The advance followed the capture of the Red Sea port city of Mokha in western Taiz province and the districts of Hays and Al Khawkhah in Hodeidah province.
Hundreds of casualties have been reported since the offensive began around Bab al-Mandab, a critical corridor for Saudi Arabian oil exports.
Brent crude oil prices rose above $107 a barrel, the highest level since July, reflecting market concern over disruption to shipping through the strait.
The Houthis control roughly one-third of Yemeni territory and have used control of the strait's approaches as leverage in the wider regional conflict linked to the Gaza war.
Bab al-Mandab Strait — Geography and Strategic Significance
Bab al-Mandab ("Gate of Tears") is a strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and, beyond it, the Arabian Sea. It lies between Yemen (Arabian Peninsula) on the northeast and Djibouti and Eritrea (Horn of Africa) on the southwest, at the southern mouth of the Red Sea. At its narrowest, it is about 26-30 km wide, split by Mayyun (Perim) Island into two channels.
Key Details
- Basin/littoral states: Yemen, Djibouti, Eritrea.
- An estimated 10-12% of global maritime trade transits the strait annually; it is one of the world's key oil-shipping chokepoints, carrying over one-tenth of seaborne global oil trade and about a quarter of global container traffic.
- It is the southern gateway to the Red Sea-Suez Canal route linking Asia and Europe, making it strategically comparable to the Strait of Hormuz (Persian Gulf) and the Strait of Malacca (Indo-Pacific) as a maritime "chokepoint."
Houthi control of Mayyun Island gives the group physical command of both channels of the strait, directly threatening the safety of commercial and tanker traffic bound for the Suez Canal — a scenario UPSC has repeatedly tested through chokepoint geography questions.
The Houthi Movement (Ansar Allah) and the Red Sea Crisis
The Houthis, formally Ansar Allah ("Partisans of God"), are a Zaydi Shia revivalist movement formed in northern Yemen in 2004, currently the de facto authority over large parts of Yemen following the country's civil war (since 2014-15). The group is widely assessed as backed by Iran, placing it within Iran's regional network alongside Hezbollah and Iraqi militias — relevant to India's West Asia policy of engaging all regional actors while safeguarding energy and trade routes.
Key Details
- Since the escalation of the Gaza conflict from October 2023, the Houthis have targeted Israel-linked and other commercial/naval vessels transiting the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, citing solidarity with Palestinians.
- The disruption prompted international naval responses, including US/UK-led coalitions, and rerouting of shipping around the Cape of Good Hope, raising freight costs and transit times.
- India's Navy has maintained Operation Sankalp (launched 19 June 2019 for the Strait of Hormuz, re-activated 14 December 2023 and expanded in 2024 to cover the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden) to escort Indian-flagged vessels and act as a "net security provider" in the region.
The Houthi capture of the strait's key island escalates the threat to shipping India depends on for energy imports and trade with Europe, underlining why India maintains a standing naval deployment in the region rather than reacting only to specific incidents.
- Mayyun (Perim) Island split from Houthi advance; located within the Bab al-Mandab strait itself.
- Brent crude crossed $107/barrel, a level last seen in July.
- Bab al-Mandab: ~26-30 km wide at the narrowest point; carries 10-12% of global maritime trade.
- Operation Sankalp: launched 19 June 2019; re-initiated 14 December 2023; expanded to the Red Sea in 2024.
- Houthis (Ansar Allah): formed 2004; control approximately one-third of Yemen's territory.