Yemen ’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels captured the island of Mayun at the entrance of the Red Sea, a key alternative for shipping Saudi oil and other exports since Iran has been targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
The island's seizure was confirmed by a senior military official with Yemen’s internationally recognized government and a Houthi official. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to journalists.
Saudi Arabia responded with airstrikes against the airport in Yemen's port city of Mokha, which the Houthis captured on Thursday, a Houthi broadcaster said. There was no immediate report of damage or deaths.
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About 12% of the world’s goods are typically shipped through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. It's especially important to Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally.
The Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a statement Friday that “maritime navigation is safe for all companies except for Saudi vessels.” But markets are nervous, and experts have described the Houthis as highly unpredictable.
A United Nations spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said Houthi rebels in Mokha seized a compound that had housed U.N. staff, who all fled safely before the city's capture. Haq said that “no U.N. personnel remain in Mokha right now.”
