# Houthi Forces Take Perim Island, Completing Control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait

The group says passage is safe for every flag except Saudi vessels, a claim that places commercial decisions about the Suez route in the hands of one armed movement.

- Published: 2026-09-12T05:16:28.464Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-09-12/houthi-forces-take-perim-island-completing-control-of-the-ba
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [The Hindu](https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/yemens-houthis-reach-strategic-island-at-mouth-of-vital-shipping-lane/article71455868.ece), [BBC News Hindi](https://www.bbc.com/hindi/articles/cx2z4k3gvplo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss)

Yemeni government officials said Houthi fighters reached Perim Island, which splits the Bab al-Mandab into two shipping lanes, after government forces withdrew, and that the advance [completed the group's control of the Yemeni side of the strait](https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/yemens-houthis-reach-strategic-island-at-mouth-of-vital-shipping-lane/article71455868.ece). The same officials said a week-long offensive, which also took the Red Sea port of Mokha, left hundreds dead. A Houthi military spokesman said the push was intended to expel Saudi-backed forces from the remaining western coastline and that navigation through the strait is safe for all vessels except Saudi ones.

BBC Hindi framed the outcome in blunt terms, reporting that seven months after the joint United States and Israeli attack on Iran began, Tehran and its allies now [hold positions commanding two of the world's most important maritime routes](https://www.bbc.com/hindi/articles/cx2z4k3gvplo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss), the Strait of Hormuz and the southern entrance to the Red Sea. European reporting described the capture of Perim as [taking control of the strait](https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/12/houthis-seize-yemeni-island-in-bab-el-mandeb-taking-control-of-the-strait) rather than merely threatening it.

Saudi Arabia asked Washington to intervene directly as the offensive unfolded. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump twice on Thursday urging strikes on Houthi forces as they advanced, according to [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/11/houthis-yemen-saudi-trump-mbs-strikes) and [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saudi-arabia-mbs-trump-houthis-yemen/). Trump rejected both requests. A US official said Washington would share intelligence and targeting information with Riyadh but would not commit American forces, because the administration wants to keep its military focus on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz rather than open a second front in Yemen. The request itself marked a reversal for Saudi Arabia, which had told Washington as recently as July that it could handle the Houthis on its own.

Bab al-Mandab carries less crude than Hormuz, but it is the gate to the Suez Canal and therefore to container traffic between Asia and Europe. Shipowners who had already been routing around the Cape of Good Hope during earlier Red Sea attacks now face a situation where transit depends on a political judgment about cargo, owner and flag rather than on naval escort. Egypt, which collects Suez tolls, and shippers paying for the longer route around Africa bear the cost.

## What this means

Control of Perim converts the Bab al-Mandab from a contested lane into a managed one, where an armed movement decides which flags pass. Container lines and their customers pay through longer voyages and higher war-risk insurance, Egypt loses Suez Canal revenue it uses to service foreign-currency debt, and European importers face delivery times measured in extra weeks. The same capability also gives Iran's allies a second lever over global trade at a moment when negotiations over the Gulf are live.

## What to watch

- War-risk insurance quotes for Red Sea transits, because a sharp rise would show underwriters treat Houthi assurances about safe passage as unreliable.
- Whether Saudi Arabia responds militarily on Yemen's west coast, which would widen the conflict to the Red Sea coastline that Saudi oil exports now depend on.
- Monthly Suez Canal transit counts, the clearest measure of whether shipping lines believe the route is usable.