Channels aligned with the Iran-backed Houthi movement claim the group has captured Dhu Bab island, a strategic point on the southwestern coast of Yemen that directly overlooks the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The channels also published footage of captured military equipment, including armored vehicles and tanks.
The Houthi movement is claiming a new strategic gain in southwestern Yemen. Channels affiliated with the group reported Friday that its forces captured Dhu Bab island, a location described as dominating the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The channels also showed footage of captured military equipment, including tanks and armored vehicles, presented as spoils of the operation.
The Houthis have been conducting a rapid coastal offensive in recent days. As The Zioneer has reported, the Iran-backed group captured the port of Mocha and the city of Az-Zubab, and advanced onto Perim Island (Mayyun) at the narrowest point of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Bab el-Mandeb is one of the world's most vital maritime corridors, serving as the southern gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. For Israel, it is the primary route for trade with Asia via the Port of Eilat. Direct Houthi territorial control at the strait's narrowest points would allow the group to threaten shipping with relatively simple weapons, posing a more acute threat than long-range missile and drone attacks.
4 developments
- DevelopingHouthis seize Hanish Islands group, tightening grip on Red Sea shipping lanes
- StrongHouthi capture of Bab el-Mandeb coast could enable full strait blockade, The Zioneer assesses
- DevelopingHouthi capture of Camp Khalid, Hayz reshapes Red Sea security balance, analysis finds
- DevelopingHouthi military spokesman declared naval blockade against Saudi Arabia
Source and signal
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