What changed in this update
The rebel group took over Yemen's port of Mokha, an area vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea, Houthi and Yemeni officials said. Mokha is about 50 miles from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Event intelligence
Houthi Red Sea island capture and Saudi pipeline attack
2 connected story threads
Current state
Iran-backed Houthi forces have captured Yemen's Red Sea port of Mokha and reportedly seized Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West oil pipeline after a drone attack launched from Iraq set the line on fire.
Grounded in 12 reports across 8 sources
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Source coverage
Source reports
NPR – World NPR
Iran-backed Houthi rebels seize strategic Red Sea port in Yemen
The rebel group took over Yemen's port of Mokha, an area vital to controlling shipping through the Red Sea, Houthi and Yemeni officials said. Mokha is about 50 miles from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
NPR – Middle East NPR
Yemen's Houthis capture a Red Sea island in threat to shipping
NPR
Yemen's Houthis say they now control land that overlooks a key shipping route
Yemen's Houthis have overrun Saudi-backed forces to consolidate control along a Red Sea shipping strait.
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BBC News – World BBC
Houthis claim major advance in Yemen and tighten grip on Red Sea shipping lane
The Iran-backed Houthis are also reported to have seized Perim - a strategic island on the major shipping route.
NYTimes – World NYT
Houthis Seize a Key Red Sea Island, Threatening Yet Another Global Oil Route
The Iran-backed militia’s ground offensive has reached the Bab al-Mandab, a Red Sea strait that is a choke point for global trade.
News24
Yemen's Houthis reach strategic island at mouth of vital shipping lane
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reached the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, four Yemeni government sources told Reuters, moving to tighten their grip on a vital global shipping route in the widening Middle East war.
TIME
Yemen’s Houthis Reach Strategic Island in Key Shipping Route
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have reportedly taken over the strategic Perim Island that sits in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in a bid to tighten their grip on the critical maritime chokepoint.
NPR – World NPR
Why gains by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen could push gas prices even higher
A Houthi advance along Yemen's Red Sea coast could help push gas prices up even more as the Iran-backed group also launches attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities.
NYTimes – World NYT
Houthis Seize Strategic Red Sea Port, a Major Victory for Iranian Ally
The Iran-backed militia routed Yemeni government forces in Mokha, putting the group in a stronger position to attack ships in a crucial waterway for global trade.
