Security analyst Yair Goldblatt said the US will attack Houthi forces in Yemen imminently, claiming the Houthis captured Perim Island overnight, giving them full control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Goldblatt argued President Trump will not tolerate another strait closure. The Zioneer's prior reporting noted no verified fall of Perim Island.
Yair Goldblatt, a security and Middle East analyst, posted on X this morning that the Houthis have captured Perim Island, giving them full control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and predicted an imminent US military strike in response. Goldblatt argued that President Trump will not tolerate another blocked waterway. The prediction comes after The Zioneer reported Thursday evening that the Houthis had completed their takeover of Bab el-Mandeb, confirmed by AFP and Reuters citing Yemeni officials, and later declared official control. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also boasted that ships are 'turning off their engines' between the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.
The Zioneer first noted the Houthi advance at 18:34 Jerusalem on Thursday, stating that Houthi forces had seized the port of Mocha and advanced on the Hanish Islands, but that no verified report of Perim Island’s fall existed. By 23:17 Jerusalem, the thread showed a rapid escalation: Houthi forces reached and then seized the coastal town of Dhubab, captured Perim Island, and claimed full control of the strait – with confirmation from multiple news agencies. The analyst’s claim of a captured Perim is thus consistent with the confirmed development.
As The Zioneer reported Thursday afternoon, the Houthi advance along the Red Sea coast has pushed Brent crude above $105 a barrel on fears of a shipping blockade. The strategic chokepoint at Bab el-Mandeb is now under Houthi control, raising concerns for global shipping and energy markets.
No official US response has been made public. Goldblatt’s prediction is an analyst assessment, not a confirmed plan, and it remains uncertain whether Washington will indeed strike or pursue other measures.
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