Yemen’s Houthi rebels have seized two strategically important islands in the southern Red Sea, further strengthening their control over a vital international maritime route, Yemeni government officials and Houthi representatives said Monday.
According to The Associated Press (AP), Houthi fighters have been deployed to Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish islands, located around 160 kilometers north of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The islands were taken after several hundred troops allied with Yemen’s internationally recognized government withdrew from the archipelago, according to two government officials and a Houthi official.
Houthis Expand Control Around Bab al-Mandeb
The latest development comes days after Houthi forces captured the port city of Mocha and Mayun Island, which lies within the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, from forces backed by Saudi Arabia.
The Bab al-Mandeb is a strategically important waterway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean. Greater control over the area could give the Houthis greater leverage over shipping through one of the world’s key maritime corridors.
Fighting Intensifies
The conflict escalated further on Sunday, when government forces launched attacks against Iran-backed Houthi positions along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The Houthis responded with attacks targeting Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has long supported Yemen’s government in the country’s conflict with the Houthi movement.
Yemen’s government has announced plans to deploy additional troops along the Red Sea coast. However, one government official acknowledged the loss of Mocha and an island near the Bab al-Mandeb as a “painful” defeat.
UN Warns of Rising Displacement
The latest territorial gains come amid fears that Yemen could once again slide into a full-scale civil war.
The United Nations has reported that more than 80,000 people have been displaced by conflict in Yemen since the beginning of September, highlighting the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation.
The capture of the two Hanish islands, along with recent gains around Mocha and Mayun, marks a significant expansion of Houthi influence along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and raises further concerns over the security of the strategically vital shipping route.
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