Iran-aligned Houthi fighters have seized Mayyun Island in Yemen’s Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to AFP, citing a local government official and eyewitnesses. The island sits in the strait that links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and divides its two shipping lanes.
The takeover followed reported Houthi gains in the Yemeni port city of Mocha and nearby Zuqar Island. Fighters arrived by boat after government forces withdrew, with witnesses seeing armed personnel and military vehicles. Government sources said Houthi forces had also surrounded troops on the Hanish Islands, where more than 2,000 soldiers were reportedly seeking reinforcements, food, water and air support.
Houthi politburo member Hazem al-Assad said navigation and international trade through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab remained safe and orderly. The advance has nonetheless raised fresh concern over global shipping and energy flows, especially amid disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.
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