Houthis are trending because of reported territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and on a strategic island, raising concerns about shipping and oil routes. The Iran-backed group claims a major advance in Yemen and is reported to have seized Perim, an island on a major shipping route. These developments would tighten its grip near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
The focus is on what those gains could mean for vessels using this crucial route. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said Red Sea navigation is safe except for Saudi ships, explicitly singling out Saudi vessels. Separately, Saudi Arabia has suspended a crucial oil pipeline following a drone attack. Together, the reported advances, the shipping declaration and the pipeline shutdown have put the Houthis at the center of coverage about threats to regional transport and oil flows.
