Houthis take Perim Island in Bab el-Mandeb as Saudi jets strike Mocha airport
UPDATED · Sat. 9:30 a.m. EDT
Iran-backed Houthi forces reached and occupied Perim Island (Mayun) in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday after Saudi-aligned Yemeni government troops withdrew, officials told the Associated Press, Reuters, and AFP. Houthis also took the mainland coastal town of Dhubab facing the island a day after seizing Mocha; a Houthi broadcaster said Saudi aircraft struck Mocha’s airport Friday. Saturday AFP/CNA and BBC reporting says the group has cemented hold on Yemen’s Red Sea coast and islands in the strait — including Perim/Mayun and the Hanish group already named in coverage — as Brent settled Friday at $104.61 while Hormuz traffic stays constrained.
Perim Island (Mayun) and the Yemeni coast at Bab el-Mandeb. File photograph; not from Friday’s fighting.
Michael Kleiner / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Center-left view
The Associated Press, AFP/CNA Saturday wrap, and BBC emphasize government withdrawal from Perim and Dhubab, later claims of full Bab al-Mandab coastal and island control (Perim/Mayun, Hanish), Saudi airstrikes on Mocha airport, and warnings that the offensive widens shipping risk on a second corridor.
Sources: Associated Press · AFP / CNA · BBC
Center-right view
Reuters (via CNA), Fox News, and OilPrice.com frame the Perim/Dhubab push as Iran-aligned leverage over Bab el-Mandeb energy and Suez-bound trade after Hormuz disruption, noting Saudi reliance on the Red Sea bypass, oil near multi-month highs, and Riyadh’s request for U.S. strikes that Axios reported Trump declined.
Sources: Reuters / CNA · Fox News · OilPrice.com