Yemeni Houthi rebels seize Red Sea islands to tighten grip on shipping routes

Yemeni Houthi rebels seized control of the strategic Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, according to government and Houthi officials speaking on Monday, Spectrumlocalnews reported. The islands lie within the southern Red Sea, positioned roughly a hundred miles north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The advance follows the recent capture of the mainland port city of Mokha and the island of Mayun, plunging the impoverished nation back into full-scale civil war after a truce had largely maintained quiet since 2022, according to Spectrumlocalnews and DW.

The territorial gains by the Iran-backed group threaten to grant Tehran leverage in its broader conflict with the United States. According to DW, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait serves as a crucial alternative route for Saudi oil exports because the Strait of Hormuz has remained closed following United States military actions against Iran that began on 28 February 2026. With Houthi forces now positioned roughly 20 miles from the U.S. Military base in Djibouti across the strait, shipping lines linking Asian markets to western Saudi ports face unprecedented peril, as detailed by Spectrumlocalnews.

Media additions

Compounding Riyadh's export crisis, a crucial 745-mile East-West pipeline was forced to shut down following a drone attack on Thursday that Saudi Arabia attributed to Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, as reported by Mathrubhumi English and Spectrumlocalnews. Regional officials indicated that repair work on the pipeline, which boasts a total capacity to carry up to 7 million barrels of oil per day, could take three to five weeks, though one official noted the line may operate partially during repairs. Saudi oil company Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while the government-run Center for International Communication stated it was looking into inquiries regarding the repair timeline.

The military escalation has triggered a devastating humanitarian crisis within Yemen. According to Pbs and Spectrumlocalnews, the United Nations estimates that more than 80,000 people have been displaced in the span of two weeks since early September, with thousands fleeing towards Djibouti by boat. Aid organizations report that entire villages have emptied out in provinces like Taiz, where heavy fighting has claimed numerous civilian lives. More than 2,000 Yemenis have reached Djibouti, where the country's navy, coast guard, and specialized agencies have conducted rescue operations and provided emergency assistance, according to statements from the International Organization for Migration and Djibouti's Economy and Finance Minister Ilyas M. Dawaleh via Pbs.

Government officials have offered differing takes on the setbacks. Sultan al-Arada, a member of the presidential leadership council, characterized the collapse of government forces on the west coast as painful and regrettable, stating that forces are currently regrouping to return to the battle, while council leader Rashad al-Alimi sought to downplay the losses as incidental in comments published by the state-run SABA news agency, according to Spectrumlocalnews and Pbs. Meanwhile, military commanders such as Maj. Gen. Tareq Saleh noted that forces executed a strategic retreat south of Mokha in order to regroup in secure locations, as detailed by The Guardian.

What to Watch Next

• Repairs on the damaged Saudi East-West pipeline and whether partial capacity can be maintained during the three-to-five-week window.
• Potential movements by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces attempting to regroup and retake lost coastal territory along the Red Sea.
• International diplomatic efforts addressing maritime blockades, regional energy transit security, and potential talks regarding the Strait of Hormuz.