Houthis Claim Control of Perim Island, Securing Key Red Sea Passage

On Friday, Yemeni government-aligned forces withdrew from Perim Island, also referred to as Mayyun.

Eyewitnesses and news agencies reported that Houthi fighters subsequently moved onto the island.

The Houthis later released a statement describing their operation to dislodge Saudi‑backed troops as a ‘success,’ adding that ‘maritime navigation remains safe for all companies except those flying the Saudi flag.’

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the ‘large‑scale’ offensive began on 3 September in response to what he called Saudi Arabia’s ‘blatant aggression’ against ‘our dear people.’

Sarea also asserted that Houthis had driven ‘Saudi enemy’ forces out of six districts in the Taiz and Hodeidah governorates, claiming hundreds of troops were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner.

The Houthi statement, however, made no mention of Perim Island.

Saudi Arabia has not issued any public comment on the latest developments.

Perim Island lies at the narrowest point of the Bab al‑Mandab Strait, a waterway that has grown in strategic importance after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the U.S.–Iran tension.

Saudi Arabia depends on the Red Sea and the Bab al‑Mandab corridor to ship oil to Asian markets.

The deepening conflict among the Houthis, Yemen’s internationally recognised government, and Saudi Arabia has contributed to a rise in global oil prices.

Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed and thousands displaced since the Houthis launched a southwestern offensive a week ago.

A Saudi‑led coalition has continued to conduct air strikes on Houthi‑held areas in western Yemen to support government forces, while the Houthis have responded with missile and drone attacks on cities and oil facilities in southern Saudi Arabia.

Since the fighting intensified, at least 46,000 people have been displaced in Yemen, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

On Friday, the IOM warned that the figure is ‘alarmingly rising by the hour.’

IOM Director General Amy Pope said, ‘Families are being forced to flee for the second or third time in this conflict, with almost nothing left.’

The Houthis overthrew the internationally recognised government in 2015, prompting Saudi military intervention in the ensuing civil war.

Today the group controls much of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. A truce that had largely held for more than four years effectively collapsed in July.

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