ADEN/DUBAI: Houthis reached Yemen’s strategic Perim island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday as a separate drone attack temporarily shut Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, Reuters reported.
Four Yemeni government sources said the Iran-aligned group advanced onto Perim after government forces withdrew. Two sources also said the Houthis took the nearby coastal town of Dhubab.
Perim sits in the Bab el-Mandeb, a major shipping passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The advance comes as disruption continues around the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns about a second critical energy and trade corridor.
Meanwhile, Saudi officials said drones arriving from Iraq temporarily shut the kingdom’s 1,200-kilometre East-West pipeline. Authorities did not identify who launched the attack.
The pipeline has carried about 4 million to 5 million barrels per day in recent months, according to ship-tracking companies and analysts cited by Reuters. That equals roughly 4% to 5% of global oil supply.
Read: Yemen Houthis Seize Mokha Port as Red Sea Risks Rise
Saudi Arabia said the attack caused injuries and damage but did not disclose the impact on exports. The International Energy Agency said Saudi crude supply had already fallen to its lowest level in more than three decades, partly because of attacks on shipping around Bab el-Mandeb.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said shipping remained safe except for Saudi vessels covered by a previously announced ban.
Yemeni government forces said they planned to retake areas lost during the Houthi advance along the Red Sea coast. Reuters also reported that Iran had provided direct guidance for the offensive, while Tehran publicly denies directing the Houthis and says they are not its proxy.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked U.S. President Donald Trump for military assistance against the Houthis, two sources told Reuters. Washington was not prepared to take direct military action but offered intelligence and targeting support.
