Houthi forces have taken the port of Mokha and the island of Mayun, extending their reach around the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Houthi forces captured Mokha on Thursday and Mayun, also known as Perim, on Friday. Mayun lies in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Bab el-Mandeb is a narrow passage between Yemen and the Horn of Africa that feeds traffic into the Suez Canal.
Officials from Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Houthi movement confirmed the island's capture. The advance was the movement's largest territorial gain in years. Longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope add sailing time, fuel use and vessel demand. Holding shoreline or an island does not automatically create full control of an international strait.
Houthi attacks on commercial shipping began in late 2023 and led many operators to divert around southern Africa. The strait became more important for Saudi shipments after traffic through Hormuz was restricted during the Iran war. Missiles, drones, mines and small craft can nevertheless raise risk across a much wider area than ground forces occupy. The reporting attributes institutional statements to the officials or organizations that made them and separates those statements from independently observed events.
The Houthis said vessels outside their embargo on Saudi-linked shipping remained safe. Shipowners and insurers continued to evaluate the risk based on capabilities and recent attacks rather than assurances alone. Maritime traffic decisions are distributed among governments, naval forces, owners, charterers and insurers. The reporting did not establish the number or condition of Houthi forces on Mayun or their ability to sustain operations there.
Commercial-routing advisories and war-risk insurance rates. Any counteroffensive by Yemeni or Saudi-backed forces around Mokha and Mayun. The next dated releases, filings or operational changes will provide the clearest evidence of whether the situation has stabilized or materially changed.