The Houthis have seized Greater and Lesser Hanish islands, expanding their territorial control around one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
The latest gains follow the Iran-backed Islamist movement’s capture of Mokha and Mayun Island near the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
AP reports that the advances put Houthi-held territory around 32 km from the U.S. military base in Djibouti.
The strategic significance extends far beyond Yemen.
Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.
It has become even more important while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.
CONTROL OF THE CHOKEPOINT
The Houthis have spent years threatening Red Sea shipping with missiles and drones.
They are now capturing territory around the route itself.
Greater and Lesser Hanish strengthen their position in the southern Red Sea, while Mayun sits directly in Bab el-Mandeb.
That leaves the global shipping system facing pressure around two critical routes on opposite sides of the Arabian Peninsula.
Hormuz is disrupted.
Houthi territory is expanding around Bab el-Mandeb.
The threat to global shipping is becoming territorial.
Sources
Associated Press: Houthis seize additional Red Sea islands
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