Houthis seize strategic Mayun Island in Bab al-Mandeb Strait
Houthi forces have taken control of Mayun Island, also known as Perim, in a move that strengthens their position at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The island sits in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's most important shipping corridors, and the takeover gives the group a new physical foothold there. The seizure was confirmed by a senior military official from Yemen's internationally recognised government and by a Houthi official.
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Mayun is a small volcanic island of about 13 sq km, but its location gives it outsized strategic value. It lies in the middle of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which splits into two channels and links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The strait is a key route for global trade because it leads toward the Suez Canal, and any shift in control there can affect maritime security far beyond Yemen.
The takeover also appears to consolidate Houthi control along much of Yemen's Red Sea coast. Reporting from Yemen indicated that the group already controlled surrounding areas, including the island of Hanish and the wider coastline, and had seized the port city of Mocha earlier in the week. Analysts quoted in the report said the advance could give the Houthis the ability to threaten or disrupt shipping through Bab al-Mandeb if they choose to do so.
The development matters because it changes the military balance in a conflict that has long been shaped by control of ports, islands and coastal routes. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is one of the narrowest and most sensitive maritime chokepoints in the region, and control over it can carry both military and economic leverage. For Yemen's internationally recognised government and its allies, the loss of Mayun is a setback in a coastal area that has already seen repeated contestation.
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The island has been contested before. In 2021, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had a presence on Mayun after reports of a UAE-linked airbase being built there. The status of that airbase is now unclear, and the United Arab Emirates ended its involvement in the Yemen conflict and withdrew troops at the end of last year.
That history underlines how the island has repeatedly drawn outside powers because of its position at the mouth of the Red Sea. The seizure also has wider regional implications because the Bab al-Mandeb is a major artery for international shipping. The report said the strait has become even more important to shipping since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf by the US-Israel war on Iran in March.
In that context, any Houthi gain on the Red Sea coast is likely to be watched closely by regional governments, naval planners and commercial shipping interests. The Houthis' backer, Iran, may also see strategic value in the development, according to analysts cited in the report. A stronger Houthi position on the coast could increase pressure on rivals in the wider regional conflict and add to the group's leverage in Yemen.
The seizure comes as the Houthis continue to expand their reach along the western side of the country, making the coastline itself a central front in the war. What remains unclear is whether the Houthis can hold Mayun over the longer term and whether the reported presence on the island can be consolidated into a durable military position. It is also not clear what has happened to any existing facilities there, including the status of the airbase previously reported on the island.
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The next developments to watch are whether there is a military response, whether shipping activity is affected, and whether the takeover changes the balance of control in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
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