Slug: Red Sea Chokepoint
Aden
Iran-aligned Houthi forces have reached Yemen’s strategic Perim island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, potentially tightening their control over one of the world’s most important shipping corridors, according to four Yemeni government sources cited.
Two Saudi-backed Yemeni government sources said forces had withdrawn from Perim, while the Houthis also captured Dhubab, a mainland Red Sea coastal town facing the island. The developments could significantly alter the security balance around the narrow waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Control of the Bab el-Mandeb would give Iran-backed forces leverage over another major maritime route after the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed during the wider Iran conflict. The two waterways are crucial to global energy and commercial trade.
Saudi Arabia has increasingly depended on the Red Sea route after disruptions around Hormuz. The kingdom has also expanded the use of its East-West oil pipeline to move crude from its eastern fields to Red Sea terminals, allowing exports to bypass Hormuz.
Satellite imagery reviewed showed smoke near the pipeline, although Saudi authorities did not confirm any incident. Aramco and the Saudi government media office had not immediately commented.
Meanwhile, Saudi crude supply fell by 2.3 million barrels per day in August to about six million bpd, its lowest level in more than three decades, the International Energy Agency said.
With shipping risks rising, global oil prices were heading towards a weekly close above $100 a barrel, highlighting the growing threat to energy markets.