Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured a strategic island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the entrance to the Red Sea, two officials said Friday, in a swift advance that further threatens Saudi oil exports through one of the world's key commercial lanes. Saudi Arabia responded with airstrikes against an airport in the key port city of Mokha that the Houthis seized on Thursday, a Houthi broadcaster said. There were no immediate reports of damage or deaths. The capture of Mayun, a tiny, barren volcanic island in the strait, was confirmed by a senior military official with Yemen's internationally recognized government and by a Houthi official. The island, also known as Perim, is about 2 miles off Yemen's west coast.
The strait is a key alternative to the choked Strait of Hormuz. But there is "no need for international concern," Hazam al-Assad, a member of the rebels' political bureau, told the AP, saying "our forces have a bank of big, important targets" in case Riyadh keeps up the strikes. Earlier Friday, Iran's government called for an end to Saudi Arabia's blockade of Yemen, throwing its support behind its ally, the Houthis. Iran's Foreign Ministry also called for a return to negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. The rebels' capture of Mokha, overlooking tanker routes out of the Red Sea, could boost Iran's strategy of driving up world oil prices to pressure the United States. It also raises concerns of a new front opening after more than six months of war—one in which Saudi Arabia is forced to respond.
Experts say the Yemen developments could give Tehran more leverage in any US negotiations. On Wednesday, the rep for Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard called for any negotiated settlement with the US to include Yemen. The Houthis' entry into Mokha on Thursday was their biggest territorial gain in years, and brought them within 50 miles of the Bab el-Mandeb, a strait that has become an important alternative for global shipping as Iran targets the Strait of Hormuz. A senior Yemeni military official told the AP they were stunned that the Saudi air force didn't strike the Houthis earlier, as they were advancing on Mokha. He assessed that Saudi Arabia didn't get a green light from the US for a large-scale air campaign. The official also blamed "lack of coordination" between Yemen's army and allied forces, saying it gave the Houthis "a priceless opportunity."
The Houthis have already attacked Saudi shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea since declaring a blockade there in July, as well as oil infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia. The Houthis said the mpve was in response to the kingdom's blockade of Houthi-held parts of Yemen, in place for years. New disruption to the waterway could mean trouble for shipping and the price of crude oil, which has now soared again. Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb to export its crude since Iran began targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. About 12% of the world's goods are typically shipped through the strait.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
