The Iranian-backed Houthis captured the island of Perim, also known as Mayun, at the entrance to the Red Sea on Friday, a Yemeni government official and Houthi spokesperson confirmed, according to the Associated Press.
Perim sits in the middle of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which has become a crucial alternate shipping route due to ongoing Iranian attacks on ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz. That means the Iranian regime and its allies have a tighter grip on international shipping routes.
A Houthi spokesperson stated that “maritime navigation is safe for all companies, except for Saudi vessels.”
Riyadh responded by striking an airport in Yemen’s port city of Mokha, according to a Houthi broadcaster.
In response, Tehran called on Saudi Arabia to end its blockade and resume negotiations.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly called U.S. President Donald Trump twice on Thursday to ask the United States to strike the Houthi terror group in Yemen, U.S. officials told Axios.
Trump declined; U.S. officials said the Trump administration has no current plans to attack the Houthis, the outlet reported.
