# Houthis seize the mouth of the Red Sea

> A week-old offensive has handed the Houthis Yemen's western coast, the Bab al-Mandab chokepoint, and leverage over the oil the world still needs.
- Title: Houthis seize the mouth of the Red Sea · BBC News | Shortify
- Summary: A week-old offensive has handed the Houthis Yemen's western coast, the Bab al-Mandab chokepoint, and leverage over the oil the world still needs. With Hormuz…
- Keywords: yemen, houthis, red sea, oil prices, saudi arabia, news, world, seize, mouth, Red, Sea, BBC News
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c23x72yx2rvo
- Published: 2026-09-11T11:35:19.24+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: yemen, houthis, red sea, oil prices, saudi arabia, news, world
## They took the island
The Houthis seized Perim Island at the mouth of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a source in Yemen's internationally recognised government told the BBC. Pro-government forces withdrew on Friday.
## The whole coast, in a week
Perim fell a day after the Houthis captured the port city of Mokha from Saudi-backed forces. A Yemeni military official said the group now controls the entire coastline.

> maritime navigation is safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels
## Everyone but the Saudis
The Houthis say shipping is safe, with one exception. Their spokesman framed the 3 September operation as a response to Saudi "blatant aggression" and claimed six districts taken in Taiz and Hodeidah.
## The pipeline went down
Saudi Arabia shut its east-west oil pipeline as a precaution after attacks in the Riyadh and Medina regions injured several people. That pipeline was the workaround for a closed Strait of Hormuz.
## Now there is no detour
With Hormuz effectively closed by the US-Iran conflict, Saudi Arabia leaned on the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab to reach Asian buyers. Perim sits at the strait's narrowest point.
## Riyadh wants American jets
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally pressed Donald Trump to strike the Houthis, sources told CBS News. Trump has offered intelligence and targeting help instead of troops.
## Families fleeing for the third time
At least 46,000 people have been displaced since the fighting escalated, and the IOM says the figure is rising by the hour. Hundreds have been killed.

> Families are being forced to flee for the second or third time in this conflict, with almost nothing left.
## Key takeaway

With Hormuz effectively shut, whoever holds Bab al-Mandab holds the route Saudi oil takes to Asia, and the Houthis now hold it.