Yemen’s Houthis cement hold on shipping corridor

The Iran-backed Houthis seized control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast and captured three strategic islands on Sept 11, in a lightning offensive that cemented their hold on a vital shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia.

The developments are likely to deepen the Middle East war’s impact on international commerce, as Saudi Arabia shut down an oil pipeline following attacks, and after months of Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Following a week-long offensive that has left hundreds dead, government officials said the Houthis seized the Yemeni side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

A local official with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said on Sept 11 that the Houthis had “completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandab area and Mayyun Island”.

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