Live: West Asia crisis: Yemen's Houthis seize strategic island near Bab al-Mandeb strait

In a statement made public on Friday, the National Defence Council representing Yemen’s internationally acknowledged and Riyadh-supported government on Thursday vehemently denounced the fresh strikes launched by Houthi forces against Saudi Arabia. The council further emphasized that the government of Yemen stands at the forefront of securing maritime navigation freedom, urging global backing as Houthi fighters advance rapidly along the shores of the Red Sea towards Bab el-Mandeb. This intensification of military clashes poses a serious threat to the precarious ceasefire that had mostly paused the Yemeni civil war since the year 2022.

In this audio episode, we analyze the transition of Yemen's Houthi movement from a localized rebellion to a formidable regional actor, detailing how their connection to the conflict involving Iran is redefining geopolitical dynamics, putting Red Sea maritime shipping at risk, and worsening the humanitarian emergency in Yemen.

Troops loyal to the Yemeni government have suggested they will attempt to recapture the territories seized by Houthi insurgents during their rapid military push this week along the shores of the Red Sea. They declared that military equipment and aerial assets would be deployed to disrupt any maneuvers by the "terrorist" Houthi armed groups in crucial zones. This includes the route heading toward the coastal town of Mocha, which was seized by the rebel organization on Thursday alongside the Hanish islands in the Red Sea.

As the Strait of Hormuz, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, and the Red Sea, a vital commercial route between Asia and Europe, continue to be areas of intense tension, a broadening conflict stretching from Tehran to Jordan and Riyadh to Bab-el Mandeb risk driving the entire region into a severe economic and security crisis. Access the full editorial article via this link.

Pictures captured from space on Thursday revealed smoke rising near Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline. No official statement from Saudi Arabia confirmed any mishap in the region, and neither the Saudi state media office nor the national oil company Aramco replied quickly to inquiries regarding the smoke seen in the images, which were authenticated by Reuters. The East-West Pipeline has grown highly critical for Saudi Arabia since the conflict started, as the state-run petroleum firm Aramco utilized it to increase crude transport from its east coast toward the Red Sea in the west, thereby bypassing the Strait of Hormuz following Iran's virtual closure of that waterway.

No fewer than 46,000 individuals have been forced to flee their homes since hostilities broke out again between the Tehran-supported Houthi faction and forces loyal to the government in southwest Yemen last week, according to a Friday UN announcement. "A minimum of 46,000 residents have been displaced across Yemen following the escalation of combat last week," stated the UN's International Organization for Migration, emphasizing that "the figures are growing at an alarming rate with every passing hour."

Read our comprehensive analysis of the Bab el-Mandeb strait published back in 2023: The primary reason Houthi activities pose an immediate hazard to international maritime commerce is their capability to strike commercial ships navigating the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, which serves as a connection between the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean.

The leading diplomats of Iran and Saudi Arabia held a telephone conversation to talk about the "rising instability" in the Middle East, according to Tehran, making no direct reference to the latest combat in Yemen, where both nations back rival factions. Tehran provides arms and funds to Yemen’s Houthi forces, who have controlled vast areas of northern Yemen for several years. Saudi Arabia has historically backed Yemen's internationally recognized administration and has been conducting aerial bombardment campaigns against Houthi forces since their offensive started, according to statements from the rebel group. Iran’s chief diplomat Abbas Araghchi conversed with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan concerning "the intensification of hostilities and the mounting instability in the region," the Iranian foreign ministry reported. An overview of their discussion indicated that both sides "stressed the importance of ongoing partnership and diplomatic channels to halt the escalation of conflicts and restore regional peace."

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman contacted US President Donald Trump twice on Thursday (September 10, 2026), pressing him to initiate military operations against Houthi fighters, according to a report by Axios quoting two American officials. Mr. Trump declined the appeal, with US officials indicating that the current administration has no plans to involve its military directly against Houthi forces right now, the publication stated. Find out more: Trump turns down the Saudi crown prince's request for US strikes targeting Houthi rebels, looking to steer clear of direct military involvement inside Yemen.

Iran-supported Houthi forces have arrived in the Yemeni settlement of Dhubab, positioned right on the edge of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait opposite Perim Island, two state sources told Reuters on Friday. Securing Dhubab along with Perim is vital to establishing authority over the entire strait, the government officials told Reuters.

Saudi military aircraft conducted two bombardments on Friday hitting the airport of the vital city of Mocha, which has fallen under Houthi administration, as reported by the faction’s Al-Masirah television network. The Tehran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen took over the Red Sea harbor city on Thursday, following a massive military drive launched last week against government troops backed by Riyadh.

Tehran-backed Houthi fighters established a presence on Yemen’s critical Perim Island at the entrance of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the early hours of Friday, following the retreat of government troops, four official Yemeni sources reported to Reuters. This development represents the faction's most critical breakthrough so far in its efforts to dominate the crucial maritime transport route.

Houthi rebels in Yemen assumed control over a crucial island in the Red Sea on Friday, finalizing their operation to dominate the Bab al-Mandeb strait zone, according to reports from a local administrative official and nearby observers who spoke to AFP. "Vessels transporting heavily armed Houthi rebels arrived at Mayyun Island following the withdrawal of government troops yesterday," the local source stated, pointing to the landmass also referred to as Perim, which splits the channel into two separate maritime routes. An observer on the ground reported that armed fighters were "positioning themselves along the coastline of Bab al-Mandeb and patrolling the area using military transport."