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Iran-backed Houthi rebels have taken control of two strategically important islands in the southern Red Sea, further strengthening their position near the key Bab al-Mandeb shipping route, according to Yemeni government and Houthi officials.
The Houthis deployed fighters to the Greater Hanish and Lesser Hanish islands after several hundred troops allied with Yemen’s internationally recognised government withdrew from the area, two Yemeni government officials and a Houthi official told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The development comes as Saudi-backed government forces seek to regroup and launch a counteroffensive following the Houthis’ rapid advance along Yemen’s western coast.
The growing tensions are raising concerns over the security of Red Sea shipping and global oil supplies, particularly amid Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure and vessels.
The Hanish archipelago lies about 160 kilometres (100 miles) north of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.