Yemen’s Houthi rebels seize more key islands in southern Red Sea, tighten grip on shipping routes
Houthi rebels have seized additional strategic islands in the Red Sea, strengthening their control over vital maritime shipping routes near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This escalation in the Yemeni conflict threatens global oil supplies and increases regional tensions involving Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Why it matters
The control of these shipping lanes poses a significant risk to global energy security and international trade, potentially impacting oil prices and geopolitical stability.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels captured more strategic islands in the southern Red Sea, Yemeni government and Houthi officials said on Monday (September 14, 2026), strengthening their control of a major maritime shipping route .
The rebels deployed fighters on the islands of Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of Bab el-Mandeb Strait , according to two government officials and a Houthi official.
The Houthis took over the islands after hundreds of government-allied forces withdrew from the archipelago, said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.
The capture of the islands came after the rebels last week seized the port city of Mokha and the island of Mayun, located inside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, from Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.
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